Forget Me Not
by Ladii Emelia
Summary: Draco can't remember a thing. Hermione finds him and is convinced to help with his problem. She has reservations about it. Disclaimer: JK owns.
1. Damsel and the Distressed

_A/N: Before I said I wasn't going to post any multi-chapter fics until I finished my other one, but I had long week and couldn't finish any one shots. The little bit of time I managed to fit in some writing I worked on my sequel to "Acting Out" and on one of my original stories. And so, since I have a compulsion to post weekly, I decided to start posting a longer fic. I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 1: Damsel and the Distressed**

Being a prefect had its upsides, we had special privileges, no one questioned us when we were out after hours in the castle (they just assumed we were patrolling), we had our own common room, there were other things too, but my favorite was the prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor. As I was making my way down there a little past midnight to soak in the large tub, I stumbled upon the oddest thing. Slumped in the fifth floor corridor against the wall in a small alcove was a shirtless, shoeless, messy haired Draco Malfoy.

Curiosity got the better of me and I had to know what was up with him and why he was there in the middle of the night. I slowly walked up beside him in the alcove, blocking the light from the hallway. He looked up probably to see what caused the shadow over him. I felt my eyes widen when he looked up at me; Draco was staring up at me looking like a lost child, scared and alone and hoping his mother would find him soon. I tried to find my voice which seemed to have left me for a moment.

"Malfoy, are you all right?" I finally managed.

He cheered up a bit, "You know who I am?" My features contorted to a disconcerted expression.

"What? Of course I know who you are. Wh-?" While I was talking he stood up and grabbed me by my arms; he cut me off with a request of his own.

"Can you help me then?"

"Help… help you?" I asked slowly. "Help you with what…?"

"I can't remember anything. You- you know my name. What is it? Where am I? Why am I here-?" I cupped his mouth, stopping his bombardment of questions.

"Calm down…" he nodded. I lowered my hand. "Okay, your name is Draco Malfoy," he nodded. "You're at school. This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he nodded again and held up his wand, seeming to now understand why he possessed the object. "You're a sixth year here… I think you're… sixteen years old. You may be seventeen, I don't really know for sure," he nodded once more. "And your house is Slytherin," he looked confused but nodded just the same. I remained silent for a moment, trying to think what else could be important for him to know. Nothing came to mind, so I waited to see if he had questions.

Malfoy also remained silent; I could tell he was taking time to process the information I had just given him. He looked me in the eye and I thought he formulated another question about himself. "Who are you?" he seemed very interested.

"Uhhh… I'm Hermione Granger…" I realized then that I never actually introduced myself to him; during the sorting ceremony, our names were called out and we learned each other's name that way. Most people I had forgotten at first, but his stuck since his negative attitude had an impact on me and my two best friends. "I'm from house Gryffindor…" I didn't really know what else to say to him.

"Hermione…" he tested my name. To me, it sounded so weird coming from the blonde haired boy who constantly tormented me throughout my years at Hogwarts. I was beginning to reconsider aiding him until he opened his mouth to speak again, "You are very kind to help me. Thank you." He smiled sincerely. My previous reservations disappeared; I smiled up at him.

"I still have to figure out how…" I stated; already my mind was going over possible courses of action. "But maybe we should take you to Madam Pomfrey or Dumbledore… or even Snape. He may have some sort of potion and he'll be able to take care of you."

He frowned, "Why can't you… look after me? I don't know anyone else… and I trust you," he said the last part slowly as he looked deep into my eyes, and for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of his beautiful grey ones.

"You can trust them, though. And they'll know how to help you. They're all staff here and are much more capable than I-"

"I want you to help me. A-at least stay with me," he pleaded. I sighed and then nodded. Was this the best thing to do? I had no idea, but I was doing it. Before I turned to leave the space, I absently grabbed his hand and pulled him behind me. I guess I would have to soak in the prefect's bathroom another time.

Before we got to the Gryffindor tower, I placed a Disillusionment charm on Draco. There weren't many students left since it was winter break, but there were still enough around that would know I was sneaking a Slytherin into my room, and that Slytherin happened to be Draco Malfoy which would really be disastrous if known.

I was thankful my roommates weren't around. I pushed him into my room and then locked the door behind us. I looked at the blonde who was standing in the middle of the room taking in his surroundings. I walked over to my side of the room and began picking up books. I carried them to my bed and spread them out over it. I began searching through them. Meanwhile, he was sitting on the edge of my bed. At first he was just watching me work, and then he began to look through some of the books himself. Occasionally asking if something he found was useful.

About an hour passed and I was beginning to feel very tired. "You should get some sleep," he told me. I looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm all right," I tried to persuade him.

He shook his head, "This can wait a few hours while you sleep. It's late. You need to rest." Draco got up off of the bed and started piling the books up on the floor. He took the last one from my hands and placed it open on top of the others. "Lay down," he ordered. I found no point in arguing, so I did as I was told. Before I drifted to sleep, I felt his arm wrapped around my waist and his face nuzzled into my neck. I tried not to seem too tense, but this was very odd. If anyone would have told me last week that Draco Malfoy would be holding me in my bed, I would have checked him into St. Mungo's myself. Yet somehow here I lay with an amnesiac Draco Malfoy.

I wonder what I'm going to do.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. Let me know if I should keep posting this. I only have to work on the ending, so I have plenty more to post. Leave a review with your thoughts. And sorry for the lack of lemons. If you read my other stories, you know they're coming._


	2. Coping and Confessions

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I hope I get more readers in the future, but I'm happy about the few that I have right now. I appreciate you for taking time out to read my story. Enough talk, happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 2: Coping and Confessions**

A few days passed and I was still with Draco in his amnesiac state. No one knew I was spending most of my time with him, and no one questioned why I didn't spend as much time with Harry and Ron because Ron was always too busy with Lavender and Harry was trying to get in good with Slughorn, as per request of Dumbledore. I guess people assumed I was busy doing something related to the upcoming war, or maybe they really didn't care and I was paranoid about getting caught with him.

Anyway, a few days into the break, I was in the library with him, when Harry came in. I panicked and couldn't cast an effective spell on Draco fast enough so I told him to get up, knock all my books on the floor, and head to another part of the library until I came to get him. He looked confused and reluctant, but did so despite his reservations.

Harry rushed over and helped me pick up my books. "Fucking Ferret," he said to me but glanced to the retreating blonde. I remained silent and tried to look annoyed or frustrated. "I didn't even know he was still here," Harry said as he picked up the last few books and took a seat beside me. "It seems like we haven't spent a lot of time together over this holiday. I've been busy trying to help Dumbledore get the memory from Slughorn. I'm sorry, I should have at least checked on you."

I smiled at my concerned best friend. "You don't have to apologize, Harry. I know what you're doing is important." I love Harry like a brother and I know he feels the same way about me. But he, and Ron, often forgets that I am actually the eldest of all of us. They always want to protect me. I hugged my friend after appreciating his concern for me.

"Are you still upset about Ron and Lavender?" he asked carefully. I honestly hadn't given any thought to the two.

"I haven't been thinking about it…" I admitted to him.

"So you're better then?" he looked absolutely empathetic. I nodded and smiled. "That's great," he kissed my forehead and then hugged me again. "You want to go get something to eat?"

"Umm… not right now, Harry. I'm working on something important…"

He nodded, "All right, but make sure you do eat something. I don't want you to get sick. If you're still here when I come back to check on you later, then I'm dragging you to the kitchens and making you eat something." I smiled at the now stern faced Harry.

"Ok, Harry." He hugged me one more time before leaving the library.

I waited a few minutes before getting up to find Draco who was in the aisle behind us. I realized he'd heard everything. He looked like he wanted to ask me so many questions, but he must have chosen the most important one. "Why did you send me away like that?"

I felt bad for having to break this to him; I wanted to avoid it at all cost. Guess I couldn't. I sighed, feeling defeated. "You're… you and I… well, we aren't exactly friends…"

He had a hard look on his face, "Explain."

"Umm… you don't like me or my two best friends. You always- used to always… taunt and bully us…"

"I did?" I nodded. "… So, why are you helping me? Why are you treating me so kindly?"

I shrugged. I'd been asking myself the same question since that night and still haven't come up with a logical response. "I guess the simplest answer is because you asked for my help… and I knew you really needed me…"

He suddenly pulled me against him; we both hid in the aisle from prying eyes. Draco held me tightly to him and rested his head on my own. "I'm sorry for whatever I did to you, Hermione. Even though I don't remember anything… I'm still sorry for mistreating someone as smart and caring as you." I wrapped my arms around him.

"It's… it's all right," I whispered into his chest. He squeezed me tighter.

"We don't have to keep searching for a solution," I looked up at him, questioning him with my gaze. "If I have to go back to treating you so cruelly, then I don't want my memories back. I'd rather stay like this."

"Do you mean that?" He nodded. "But, Draco, you have a family and obligations… a life to live."

"I can start over."

"People would know something's wrong. They'll-"

"I don't care," looking into his eyes, I knew he meant what he said; but this wouldn't work and I knew it wouldn't be right. I had to get his memories back. And I needed help.

Later that night, I lied to Draco about having to go help Harry with something. Harry and Ron were going to be at Grimmauld Place for the next few days, so I knew my deception would hold since we'd all be away at the same time. Draco expressed his concern about my adventures with the two late at night. I assured him as best I could that everything was fine before leaving the tower to seek help.

I went to see Dumbledore first, but he wasn't there. I considered going to the hospital ward, but I didn't think it wise anymore to get Madam Pomfrey involved. That only left Snape. So I began making my way down to the dungeons. I searched for about forty minutes without finding him anywhere. I wished I had the map, but I didn't know where Harry left it. I guess I could have summoned it with _accio_.

Too late to turn back now.

Finally, I went to his storage closest, hoping to just find something there, if not the man himself. I sighed when I saw him in there organizing shelves. "Professor," I called and he turned to look at me.

"Miss Granger. What can I do for you?"

"I need your help."

"And you've come to me because…?"

"Professor Dumbledore isn't here and I don't think Professor McGonagall can help…"

"What's the problem?"

"It's Draco Malfoy…"

"Miss Granger, if you've come to complain about-"

"No, no, no. It's not about me and… Draco," he raised an eyebrow at my use of his first name. "H-he can't… remember… anything."

"Explain," he ordered.

"I don't know how, but…" I told him everything that had happened so far and he listened attentively. "… and now he wants to stay like he is. He doesn't want to remember."

I'd left out why he chose not to regain his memories, but I thought I should include the fact that it was his decision.

"You should have sought help sooner."

"I know, but…"

Snape rubbed his temples. "And you're sure no one knows about this… situation?"

I nodded. "I haven't told anyone, and only a few people have seen him, but not while he was with me."

"Good, you should continue to watch over him while I figure something out," he looked like he was hiding something and I wasn't sure if I should be worried.

"What about classes?"

"Does he remember any magic?"

"A little… he's been reading some of my text books and he says some of the stuff he remembers. It seems it has to be reintroduced somehow and it… clicks?"

"This is good. He may be able to attend classes then."

"He'll need his books and uniforms. He hasn't been able to go into his room and I don't know anything about Slytherin dorms so I didn't even try-"

"I'll go gather what he needs. Wait here." Snape had left and returned with the promised materials within the half hour. "Continue looking after him. And make sure no one knows about his condition. I'll figure something out." I nodded and took the stuff from him. It was too much to carry all of the way to the Gryffindor tower from the dungeon, so I shrunk everything and put it into a bag that I conjured. Snape seemed somewhat impressed by my abilities. "He should be safe with you for now, since you're the last person anyone would expect him to be with…" I tried not to take that the wrong way, but the way he had said it made it difficult. I wiped all emotion from my face as I looked up at him once last time then headed back to my dorm.

I placed the bag inside my end table drawer then walked over to the bed where he lay sleeping. I smiled and magically tucked him in. I went to change into a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. I quietly got into my bed next to him and wrapped an arm around him. He surprised me when his hand held mine. He moaned and turned onto his back still gently holding my hand. His grey eyes slowly opened and then focused on me. He smiled sweetly; I felt my heart speed.

Part of me was panicked that I was falling for Draco Malfoy, but another part of me didn't care and wanted to stay with him… like this… like he was now. I pulled my hand from his and lifted it to cup his left cheek; I slid up and kissed him lightly on the lips. We stayed like that for a few moments until he pulled me onto him and deepened the kiss. I moaned when I felt his tongue run over mine. I realized then that I just had my first kiss with Draco Malfoy, and he probably wouldn't even remember this if and/or when he did get his memory back.

I parted my lips from his and looked down at the Slytherin; he was smiling up at me. "You're back sooner than expected. But I'm glad." He kissed me again. I smiled at him this time. He held me to him, and I rested my head on his chest. I fell asleep listening to the steady beat of his heart. I was beginning to get used to the sound.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know your thoughts on the story so far._


	3. Towards Tomorrow

_A/N: This chapter I did a lot of revision instead of copping out and combining two chapters like I did with the previous one. With that one I was feeling too lazy to expand so I just added another chapter, but that worked out well because it would have sucked to cut it off where I had planned to. However, with this one, I just couldn't do it. I would've felt bad about giving you a _really_ short update and I couldn't combine chapters because it would speed the story up way too fast, so I slowed it down a bit and made this longer.(Not much, but it makes a difference. Believe me.)_

_Hope you enjoy. And thanks to my readers and reviewers. Happy reading. (^_^)x_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 3: Towards Tomorrow**

There were only two days left before classes resumed. I hadn't noticed how quickly the break had been passing since I had been busy spending so much time with my head buried in various books while trying to figure out how to solve his problem. Fortunately, there are a couple of days left to relax and enjoy my break properly since he insisted that he did not want to regain his memories. I would have felt terrible for giving up on him had I not went to Snape for help, but that same bothersome part made me feel guilty for that act. My conscious was intent on _not_ letting me win one way or the other.

However this ends, I just hope Draco won't be mad at me for going to his Head of house behind his back.

Apart from my internal conflict, I've been enjoying our time together. It was obvious to me that he was happy too since we weren't still cramped in the same two spaces pouring over books. We didn't do anything spectacularly out of the ordinary, yet we always seemed to have a good time and find out something new about the other. One of the first things I learned about him was that he really likes the astronomy tower; at night or during the day, it didn't matter much to him. His fascination with the space made me curious about his interest in it when he had his memories. I'd often stop and take short moments to think about my observations of this Draco compared to the Draco I've been in school with but have not really known for many years now. This was the first time I was getting to know him as one person befriending another, and not just as a student noticing another student who has simply been present in all of my classes since I was eleven. The situation intrigued me more with every new discovery.

On the last free afternoon before students returned, we were on the Clock Tower balcony watching the snow fall silently over the school grounds. I was thinking about what I'd be doing had I not found him that night while he held me from behind; we shared our body heat to fight off the surrounding cold.

"What are we going to do in a few days, Hermione?" he asked directly into my ear; the feeling of his warm breath sent a chill down my spine.

"We just have to start classes again. I think you'll be fine once you sit through a few. And I'll be there to help you with the work."

"I still can't get into my own room."

"We'll figure it out. But you can probably stick close to Blaise and you'll be fine. You two share a room… I'm told." Snape had said that bit during our conversation. I still don't know why he just couldn't tell me the location of the Slytherin dungeons and the passwords. What did he think I intended to do down there?

"Who is he?" he asked, snapping me back from my thoughts.

"I'll show you when everyone gets back." That conversation came to an end; there were a few moments of silence.

"Do we have to go back to hating each other?" he sounded so sad, and I'm sure if I looked into his eyes at that moment I would have seen his disappointment and sadness. I turned around in his arms and avoided his gaze while I buried my face in his chest and wrapped my arms around him.

"Yes, we have to pretend… but you at least know I won't really mean anything. I must tell you though, you're normally the one who initiates our spats."

He lifted my face towards him, "I promise not to hurt you. I don't care about anyone else."

I smiled weakly at him, "Believe me. You'll have more to think about than me."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Why?"

"Because I can't get you off my mind." I couldn't help but smile up at him. That one admission made me so happy. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss further. My temperature was rising, my heart was racing, and my mind was only filled with thoughts of the blonde male I once considered an enemy, all from one kiss. "Can we go back to your room?" he asked huskily.

I nodded eagerly. He smirked his old smirk at me and pulled me towards the dorm. We hurried to my room and I locked it behind us. Draco kissed me fiercely, and began to remove my clothes while I frantically worked on removing his. We clumsily undressed each other, and eventually went to my bed. We lay in the middle of the bed kissing each other while feeling the other up.

Draco lightly pinned me to my bed and kissed me starting from my mouth and working his way down my body. He let go of my arms when he got down lower and gripped the underside of my thighs and spread them further apart. A was breathless as I stared down at him. Draco kissed the inside of both of my thighs before attaching his mouth to my center. His eyes were closed as he kissed me there. We were both moaning. I gripped my sheets and felt my body moving against his actions. He moved his hands to hold me still and in place while he explored my folds with his lips, tongue, and teeth.

I completely forgot about everything else except for him. Nothing else existed when he sent me over that blissful edge and left me feeling relaxed on my bed. He climbed back over me, and kissed my forehead lightly before kissing my lips the same way. I looked down the space between us and watched as he positioned himself at my entrance. My breath hitched in my chest and panic began to fill my stomach with butterflies. I could feel him at my opening, pushing in slightly. I imagined the pain and my entire body tensed.

"I can't," I whispered. I was reluctant to look up at him. I was convinced that I would see anger, annoyance, or disappointment in his eyes if I looked up.

"It's all right, Hermione," he said calmly then kissed my forehead again; I looked up and saw something I didn't expect… understanding. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to." He rolled over onto his back and pulled me on top of him. I could feel his erection pressing against my lower stomach and I felt terribly guilty about leaving him in that state.

"Will you-?"

"I'm okay…" he held me tighter.

"Can I do something?" he shook his head. I knew he was trying to spare me, but I wanted to do something for him.

I slid off of him and he raised an eyebrow at me, but he kept one arm wrapped around me. I reached my hand down and grasped him gently; I tentatively stroked him. He hissed and I looked up to see if it was from pain, "Are you okay?" I asked completely concerned. He nodded frantically. I continued what I had been doing and noted his reactions as I continued. Then he moved his hand over mine and helped me. Once he realized I mastered what he was teaching me, he released my hand and let me continue on my own until he came on my hand and himself.

"_Scourgify_," he whispered, cleaning the mess. I was glad he remembered one of the spells I had reminded him of. Draco put his wand back down and pulled me closer to him.

"It's still early, Draco. Are we staying in bed for the rest of the day?"

"I wouldn't mind staying like this with you," he smiled a wicked grin at me. I had to laugh at that. I reached up and kissed him again.

"I don't mind either," I said looking at him through half-lidded eyes. We stayed there like that for the remainder of the day, only leaving shortly to raid the kitchens.

_A/N: Fluffy goodness and the first lemon appears. Sure it's not my usual, but it's a build-up to what's to come. Anyway, hope you liked and thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. I won't pressure you with "the more reviews, the sooner I update" or "no reviews, no updates;" I post regardless of reviews, but they are lovely and make me smile. (^_^) And are deeply appreciated._

_Until next week._


	4. Revelations and Realizations

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reading this and to those who have reviewed, added this to their favorites, and subscribed to this. I appreciate it all. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 4: Revelations and Realizations **

All of the students had returned to school the evening before classes resumed. I pointed out Blaise to Draco and instructed him to stay close to his housemate until he got to their room. His friend didn't seem to notice anything off about him, so I took that as a good sign. I just hoped he'd be all right until after our first period classes. We had the same schedule apart from our first periods; I have Ancient Runes while he has Alchemy. Fortunately, once we get past the first class, I'll be able to keep an eye on him.

The next morning he came to the Great Hall with Blaise and Gregory Goyle. I kept stealing glances of him to see how he was doing; he barely talked to the others while he ate his breakfast, but he appeared to fine. My only lingering problem was that I was still worried about was his Alchemy class. Draco and I had traversed the castle thoroughly, so he knew his way around and would be able to make it there, but I wondered how well he'd do in his first class. For some reason, I felt like an anxious mother sending her child off to school on his first day.

When I got to Defense against the Dark Arts, I half-expected him to be there, but I soon realized that his classroom was a bit further than my previous one. I tried not to watch the door, and I hadn't noticed that I was holding my breath until he came into the classroom and started towards me. I shook my head slightly and cautiously not to draw attention. He looked a bit hurt, but nodded his head then went to stand with his other housemates. Throughout class I kept an eye on Draco; I also noticed Snape's attention to Draco. Something about it bothered me, but maybe it was just me being protective of him. I tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on practicing with Susan Bones.

Before we left the class, I slipped him a note telling him to meet me in the library during break. I hoped he hadn't let anyone else see the message. I hurried down the hall to the library and waited for him to come, which he did a few minutes after me. "How were your first two classes?"

"I think they went well," he answered with a smile. "Although, in my first class, one of the girls from… Ravenclaw… I think that's the name, she was glaring at me almost the entire time."

"Really? I wonder why."

"Could I have wronged her as well?"

"I don't know. You may have slighted her some how. Did you catch her name?"

"Umm… Turpin… I think that was her last name."

"Lisa Turpin?" he shrugged. "You can point her out?" he nodded. I knew she would be in the library right now as well. I told him to follow behind me while I searched for her. We found her sitting alone in a corner by one of the windows. "Is that her?" he nodded frantically. "I've never known you two to associate, but it's possible you may have done something."

"I wonder who else dislikes me…" he seemed upset by the possibilities. I pulled him into a hug to comfort him.

"It doesn't matter, Draco. You say you want to leave your past behind, so it doesn't matter anymore. Right?" he nodded, but still looked down in spirits. "She's in our Arithmancy class as well. We'll assess the problem further after that. I'll meet you again after our last class before we go to dinner."

"Must we go? I'd rather stay with you and go to the kitchens later."

I shook my head. "I don't want to take any chances." He looked upset again. I kissed him lightly. "We have to get going. Blaise and Goyle are probably looking for you."

I kissed him one last time before leaving him there. He got to Arithmancy shortly after me; his usual seat was reserved for him so he made his way over to sit beside his roommate. During the class I kept a close eye on Turpin who definitely was glaring at him. He would surely have been dead if looks could kill. It was clear she hated him.

"Maybe she was the one who cursed you," I said to him while we walked down the fifth floor corridor not too far from the prefect's bathroom. "I really have no way to tell for sure without asking her. And I doubt either of us will be doing that."

"I should thank her if she did hex me," I knew my face showed my surprise. "I wouldn't have you if she hadn't." He pinned me to the wall and kissed me deeply.

"Maybe we both will." I smiled up at him and he captured my lips again.

Our lips separated when we heard footsteps come our way, "Hermione!" I recognized Harry's voice.

"Leave, Draco. Go and hide. They can't find you," I sounded more panicked than I intended to, but he heeded my warning and began sprinting down the corridor. I started heading in the other direction away from him and towards Harry. I stopped and was trying to catch my breath when he and Ron appeared in front of me.

Harry was out of breath but grabbed my shoulders and said, "Hermione, are you all right? We were looking for you on the map and saw you with Malfoy. Did he harm you? Where is he?"

My breathing was back to normal by the time I answered, "I'm fine, Harry. Everything's all right."

"You can tell us anything, 'Mione," Ron assured me while he rubbed my back gently. I smiled at him.

"I'm all right," my tone was low, and I smiled at them.

"What was he doing up here anyway?" Ron asked.

"He was going to the prefect's bathroom… or coming from there. I don't really know."

"We're just glad you're all right," Harry spoke up and released his hands from my arms.

"Did you need me for anything?" I asked to change the subject.

"I finally got the memory from Slughorn," he answered proudly.

"He used the Liquid Luck potion and got it out of him," Ron was also excited.

"What'd you learn?" I was anxious to find out the news.

"Horcruxes. We think there are seven of them all together. Dumbledore said the journal was one and he had found another and think he may have found a third."

I smiled at my friends, excited to have finally learned something that will help us bring down that demented bastard. "This is wonderful. Have you informed the Order?"

"Dumbledore is doing it," Ron answered.

"I guess I have to start doing research to find the others."

"We'll help you, of course," Harry said looking concerned, "Don't think you have to shoulder the burden alone." He touched me on the shoulder and smiled weakly at me.

"It's all right, Harry, I don't mind. I'm doing what needs to be done."

"Well, let's go down to dinner," Ron interrupted.

We all nodded and started towards the Great Hall. I glanced back to see if Draco was still somewhere nearby, but I didn't see the blonde. I assumed he went back to his dorm or went to dinner with his housemates. I hoped he did.

In the Great Hall, I sighed and relaxed when I saw him sitting next to Blaise, but that soon went away when Pansy sauntered over to him and slid in next to him. Draco was noticeably uncomfortable by her presence and tried to move away from her as much as possible. I watched his discomfort as she felt him up and played over his neck with her fingertips. She must have been pissed off, because she eventually stormed off. I smiled smugly to myself and continued eating while reading my Ancient Runes assignment.

After dinner I went to the library with Harry and Ron and we spent a few hours doing homework and research. Around 9:30, my two best friends left claiming they couldn't look at another book. I smiled and kissed each good night. I watched as they cleaned up their books and packed them away. I glanced over at Draco who had arrived not too long ago and was sitting and waiting for me to be alone.

He came over to me and kneeled beside my chair; Draco kissed me fiercely, one would think we hadn't seen each other for months and it was only a few hours. I smiled at him and he did the same. I noted the gleam in his eyes; he was happy. "I learned the password and can get in and out on my own," he kissed me again. "Now I can spend my nights with you again," he gave me a toothy grin after telling me that. I smiled at him for his childish antics. "What are you looking for?" he began to look through the pages of the book. While I debated telling him, he stopped on a page. I felt my heart skip a beat when he stopped on a page with something I wanted to avoid. It was the dark mark he had tattooed on his left forearm. "What is this, Hermione?"

I couldn't hide the sadness in my eyes and felt worse when his mouth formed a frown and his own eyes drained of the happiness that filled them only moments before. I reluctantly told him everything I had been trying to keep from him; I didn't know who felt worse by the end. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" he sounded a little upset, and a little betrayed. Did he lose his trust in me for not telling him everything? I wanted to protect him, but maybe I was being selfish.

"I was trying to protect you…" I looked down.

"You should have told me, Hermione," I knew he was angry; I felt guilty. He suddenly pulled me into his embrace, "What if they came looking for me? You would have been in danger… you could have gotten hurt, or worse, because of me." He held me tighter and I did the same. I wondered if I should have told him about Snape. Maybe should I wait awhile longer?

As soon as he kissed me, I decided to wait.

"Are you going to tell your friends about my condition?" he asked as he stared deep into my eyes.

"I-I don't know…"

"Maybe you should. Especially if they think I'm a threat-"

"But you're not anymore!"

"I know," he caressed my face, "But I still think they deserve to know."

I sighed, "All right. Should we tell them together?"

He nodded, "I think that'll be best."

"We'll tell them tomorrow before Potions," I decided; he agreed. "We'll meet in the clock tower during the break."

He nodded again. I noted his lightened mood, "So are we spending the night together?" Draco was hopeful; I couldn't turn him down. I went to bed early that night.

Despite my roommates being present, I brought a charmed Draco to my room and held him until he fell asleep with his head resting on my breasts. I fell asleep shortly after with a smile on my face.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this as well. Let me know what you think. I had some concerns about this chapter, so I'll be incredibly grateful for feedback._


	5. Time to Tell

_A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's been reading. Not much to say about this, so on with the story. Happy reading. (^_^)_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 5: Time to Tell**

The sun shined through the windows of my dorm room and lingered on my face. I groaned and shifted in my bed to hide from the bright rays. My arm stretched out, but found nothing. I forced my eyes opened and exhaled sorrowfully. The blonde was no longer beside me. I slowly sat up and looked around my room and noticed my roommates were still asleep in their beds. I took a deep breath before climbing out of bed and heading for the bathroom to get ready for the day. Once I was ready for the day with all my books and other supplies packed away, I went to the common room to wait for Harry and Ron so that we could all go to breakfast together.

They were behind schedule as usual and we were a little late for breakfast, but my annoyance with them quickly disappeared when I glanced to the far side of the Great Hall at one particular male sitting at the Slytherin table. Harry and Ron didn't notice the reason I had stopped nagging them about their bad habits, but I heard them both sigh when I cut myself off. We sat down in our usual spot; Harry and Ron sat with their backs to the Slytherin table while I sat across from them. I glanced over at the table again and saw Draco smiling at me; I returned the gesture before beginning my meal.

I wanted the day to pass quickly so that I could tell my friends my secret and get the weight off of my chest, but the closer it got to the appointed time, the more anxious I became. I reconsidered telling Harry and Ron. Doubts filled my mind and distracted my attention from class; a few of my teachers gave my worried looks when I didn't answer a question, but I paid them no mind since it was too preoccupied with other issues. Draco noticed something off about me. After Arithmancy, he pulled me aside, "What's the matter?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. I'm fine." I managed to show him a weak smile.

"Something's bothering you."

I sighed, "I don't think we should tell them…"

"We already agreed that we would." I sighed and lowered my head.

"Do we really need to?"

"Are you afraid to, Hermione?" I turned my head and locked my gaze with a spot on the floor. He tilted my head to look back up at him, "It'll be all right. We're going to do it together." He gave me a hug before we went our separate ways. I needed that talk. He gave me the assurance I needed to clear my mind of the doubts. When it was time, I was ready to confront my friends.

"I have something to tell you two," I said to them after we met back up. They looked at each other and then back to me. "Follow me," I lead them to the clock tower. Draco was already there. Each of my friends stood in front of me and tried to shield me from the Slytherin. I sighed and pushed past them; they verbally protested as I made my way over to the blonde. I stood next to him; he wrapped his arm around my waist.

Ron looked like he was about to faint while Harry simply looked confused.

"Please, 'Mione, don't tell me you brought us here to tell us you've been dating the Ferret behind our backs," Ron pleaded.

"Ferret?" Draco leaned down and whispered into my ear.

"Later," I answered. "No, Ron, I didn't come to tell you that. And it's Draco."

"Since when?" Harry asked, seeming to have overcome his initial shock and confusion; now he just wanted answers.

"It started at the beginning of the winter break…" I relayed the entire ordeal to them, leaving out our more intimate moments and the bit about Snape. They looked at me with blank expressions after I was finished retelling the story.

Harry was the first to speak, "Why didn't you tell us before?" I knew he was angry with me.

"I didn't want to jeopardize his safety," he held me tighter.

"What do you plan to do with me?" Draco asked.

The other two shrugged. Ron looked down at Draco's arm, "Why is he touching you?" he sounded a bit jealous to me.

I couldn't resist; I wrapped my arms around Draco's waist and held him before turning to Ron, "Why does it matter?"

Harry laughed lightly and turned to his male friend, "It could be worse, Ron. They could be snogging." Ron's face flushed and he looked a little sick; Harry and I couldn't help laughing at his expense.

Draco was the only serious one and truly was concerned about his fate; he asked another question related to his future. "Well, Malfoy," Harry began, "If you truly plan on staying without your memory then I think we can consider you an ally instead of an enemy. But we'll have to discuss what to do with you with Dumbledore and the Order." Draco nodded, and seemed to accept the answer. I sensed his relief.

During the remainder of the break, we all sat in the tower talking about how to maintain the secrecy of his condition while classes were in session. Our conversation stopped when Ron started freaking out because of my position on Draco's lap. Currently, we were all sitting on a ledge, but I was on his lap and our legs were parallel with my butt against his pelvic region and his arms wrapped around my waist. "Must you sit like that?" he complained, no longer able to keep it to himself.

Maybe I was still trying to make him jealous. I didn't know for sure, but I thought that too immature so I turned and faced him and Harry. That is, until Draco turned me back around and laid his head on my shoulder. Ron groaned and stood up, "I can't stand it." He started toward the exit. "Even if he can't remember anything-"

"Hush, Ron," I called after him; Harry got up to follow him.

"That just isn't right, Harry," that was the last I heard him say.

I looked over at Draco. He didn't appear to seem bothered by Ron's behavior, I caressed his face. "We have to get to class," I informed him. He nodded and we both stood and left the tower to head for the dungeons.

On the second floor, he went ahead of me. While I waiting to put distance between us, Harry and Ron were coming from behind me. I thought they'd already be there. Harry told me that Ron was heading back to the Gryffindor tower and he had to drag him back for class. Now Ron seemed to have given up and just followed as we headed for class.

Draco had gotten there and was with Blaise, Pansy, and Goyle on the Slytherin side of the room at one of the tables. Pansy still seemed peeved with him, but remained by his side none the less.

Every chance Ron had, he would look up and glare at Draco, who would return the gesture in kind. I also noticed the other three tossing him dirty looks, but I knew Ron didn't care about them. It was Draco who had him seething with rage. I touched my best friend's hand and he turned around again. I watched his gaze soften before he returned to his assignment. I looked over at the group and saw the other three glaring at me; I ignored them and noticed Draco's small smile. I wanted to smile back, but I knew I shouldn't. I sighed and turned back to my work.

As soon as class was over, Ron stormed out of the classroom. "I'll see you back in the common room," Harry said to me before following after Ron. I half-glanced to the other side of the room and realized that this would be one evening better spent with my best friends.

The three of us usually spent the time before dinner in the library. I introduced this during our second year and the practice has continued since. Tonight, however, it was difficult to get Ron out of his dorm room. Finally, he gave in and grudgingly came with us to do his homework, but he refused to speak to me, even when he needed help with something. I looked at my ginger friend and shook my head; he was so childish sometimes. But I guess some things are never easy to accept. At least that's one less obstacle to overcome.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Leave a review and let me know what you think, if you feel the need._


	6. Secrets and Speculations

_A/N: After the last chapter I decided to change the story slightly. This chapter is one of the major changes I made that will affect the rest of the story. Hope you enjoy it. If not, let me know at the end. And thanks to everyone who has been reading this story. I'm keeping this short, so happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 6: Secrets and Speculations **

A few weeks have passed since I told Harry and Ron about Draco. Since then Ron has decided to stop speaking to me and his mannerisms have changed drastically. He eats less, hardly talks or jokes around, never asks me questions concerning his schoolwork nor tries to convince me to start his papers, and he has stopped smiling all together. Every time I try to confront him and talk to him, he walks away without hesitation or offering any reason, and he only spends time with me when I happen to be with Harry. It hurt me deeply to see my usually carefree friend so… different.

"Hermione," I glanced over to my left and looked up at my best friend. Ron was still walking with his attention focused in front of us. I waited for him to continue, happy that he had decided to start speaking to me once again after a few weeks of the silent treatment. He seemed to have changed his mind about speaking to me. I sighed and continued my rounds in silence. At eleven, when our shift was over, he promptly left my side and headed back for our tower. I sighed again and frowned at his retreating back as he hurried further from me.

Later that night, I was supposed to meet Draco in the sixth floor corridor. I headed to our agreed destination and wondered who would arrive first. He turned out to be there first, but he wasn't alone. Lisa Turpin was there confronting him; I stayed a safe distance away and out of view.

"You fucking bastard!" she yelled at the Slytherin and kept her wand drawn. I noticed he had panic on his face as the thin, blonde female held her ground with a fierce attitude. "You have some nerve doing what you did, then turning around and acting like nothing happened. Now I catch you snogging Hermione Granger of all people!" He remained silent, but looked confused. "I bet you're shagging her now, too. Aren't you?" Draco shook his head vehemently; he was telling the truth, so why not? "I guess I was too emotional last time to properly hex you. Maybe I should turn you into a ferret and keep you in a cage until I come up with a suitable punishment." I didn't know the ferret incident was so popular. "I should have listened when they said you were nothing but good-for-nothing two-timer," she moved to flick her wrists, but I beat her to it.

"_Petrificus totalus_," I said and watched as she froze in place; Lisa fell harshly to the ground. I rushed over to Draco, and he relaxed before looking down at the petrified girl.

"I really piss off a lot of people…" he looked a little upset by the fact. I muttered a few more charms that put her to sleep and removed the body bind hex.

"Well, at least we know who hexed you. Now we just need to find out what she did."

"No, we don't," he urged strongly and pulled me into him. "I already told you that I don't want my memories back."

"But, Draco-"

"No, Hermione. I've made up my mind." I considered telling him about Snape then, but I didn't want him to be mad at me so I kept my mouth shut. "What are we going to do with her?" That was a good question; I shrugged. "So just leave her here?"

"I guess. She'll wake up soon and be fine." He looked worried, I touched his cheek. "Let's go." I pulled him away to spend some alone time with my secret boyfriend. After what we've done and would have done, I think it was safe to consider him such. Wonder if he considered the same?

As we traveled away from the Ravenclaw, I decided to go to the Room of Requirement that night. I was already feeling upset about Ron and the last thing I needed was Lisa coming after us again. At least that one place was safe from any intrusion. Draco was clearly confused as he watched me walk back and forth three times in the hall on the seventh floor. I noticed his eyes widen as the door appeared. I took his hand again and walked inside.

"What room is this?" he asked as he looked around.

Currently, it looked similar to the prefect's common room where all our meetings were held. I didn't have anything extravagant in mind, but I figured it was better than the large empty hall we used for DA's training. That was always the first thing to come to mind when I thought of this place.

"It's the Room of Requirement," I answered him before explaining further about it; he was intrigued.

We sat down on the sofa and he pulled me closer to him. Lately, I've been out of sorts since one of my best friends has been giving me the cold shoulder; Draco knew this and tried to comfort me. "Is he still not speaking to you?"

"He said my name today, but nothing else… and he still won't look at me." I felt his hand rubbing small circles over my back. I exhaled and buried my face into his chest. "I didn't think he would act like this, Draco. I thought for sure he'd go berserk and accuse you of lying about your curse and try to hex you or something. I didn't think he'd…" I felt the tear trickle down my cheek as my sobs cut off my words.

"Shh… don't cry, Hermione. And if it'll make you feel better, he did accuse me of lying and threatened me the other day. He doesn't speak to you, but he's constantly following me around. He may not be speaking to you, but I think he's worried about you."

"Draco…" I felt the pad of his thumb wipe away my falling tears.

"It'll all be all right, Hermione," he said soothingly before kissing my forehead.

I was thankful for having Draco (even if I only was able to be with him certain times of day and in secret) especially with Ron behaving how he was. It was nice having his presence there to comfort me. Harry tried when he was able, but most of the time he tried not to be involved one way or the other. He probably figured it was best for us to work things out ourselves. Neither of us knew what was going on inside of Ron's head and it was hard for him to open up to either one of us. Perhaps I was wrong, because he still spoke to Harry and he seemed to have a lot to say.

The evening after he said my name, we all went to the library at our usual time. For a while we worked without any talking or distractions until I decided to go get a few books for an Ancient Runes paper I had coming up. I told my best friends that I was leaving to retrieve the books for my project before I left our table. Not that much time passed between my departure and return, but somewhere in between the two, Ron must have thought I was going to be awhile. He began to speak to Harry so I decided to stay on the other side of one of the tall bookshelves.

"Harry, he's lying. I know he is," I heard Ron say on the other side of the bookshelf.

"Ron, we shouldn't talk about this here."

"I know, but I think you were right. Voldemort put Malfoy up to something all right. And I think he's trying to split us up. They know we're nothing without Hermione." I smiled to myself after hearing that. "I know that Ferret is just putting on this act to get to her. She's the only one kind enough to help someone with a problem, no matter the person."

"Hermione is smart enough to take care of herself and not be tricked by some simple ploy, Ron. I still don't trust him, but I don't think this is what Voldemort assigned him."

"But you can't rule it out."

"Maybe not, but it doesn't make sense. Why would he spend the first few months sneaking off to the Room of Requirement and then all of a sudden pretend to lose his memory?"

"His orders were changed," Ron said simply as if it was the most rational explanation. "They decided this plan was better."

"Maybe…" Harry sounded very pensive and I knew he was deeply considering Ron's speculation. "I don't know. Dumbledore wants us to watch him though. I get the feeling he knows something, but he doesn't want to tell me. I guess he has his reasons." There was a pause. "When are you going to start speaking to her again?" Harry asked seriously in a low tone that I'd never heard him use before; I wondered what expression donned his face.

There was a longer pause; "I don't know…" his voice was lowered. I leaned in closer to hear. "Harry, I think-" his words were cut short when two of the books I was carrying dropped to the ground. I quickly kneeled down and scrambled to pick them back up. Meanwhile the other two came toward me, most likely to investigate the sound.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Harry asked as he came forward and helped me pick up the books. Ron remained stoically still and watched the two of us fuss over the books.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I stepped on something and slipped. Next thing I know my books are falling," I lied, not wanting them to know I was eavesdropping on their conversation. Harry picked up all of the books and handed them to Ron before helping me up from off of the floor.

"Glad you're not hurt," I smiled at him and thanked him for his help before we all went back to our table to finish our work. Every once in a while I would glance up and wonder what Ron was about to say. Why did I have to choose that moment to make a commotion? I guess I'll just have to wait until he decides to speak to me again… if he ever does.

_A/N: Not a lot of Dramione moments, but hoped you still enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading._


	7. Motherly Moments

_A/N: Not a good week for me, but I was determined not to let it stop me from getting this up. It's a little shorter than I would have liked, but I hope you still enjoy it. Thanks again to everyone who has been reading. Enough from me. Happy Reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 7- Motherly Moments**

The Saturday after the library incident, Draco and I were alone laying on a conjured daybed in the top of the Stone Bridge Tower. Revealing our secret to my best friends made me less paranoid about our time together; however, I knew better than to be completely at ease. Things would be so much easier if he wasn't Draco Malfoy. Nothing's easy though. We didn't have to worry about being caught by Harry and Ron anymore, but there are plenty of other people, specifically Slytherins, who we need to be cautious of. It'll be disastrous if word about him spending time with a "Mudblood" got out. To avoid any catastrophes, we make sure we were careful about where we go and what we do. Recently, I started thinking of different places in the castle I hadn't considered before for privacy. This tower wasn't the most comfortable place, and of course still able to be plotted if someone wanted to find either of us, yet it was somewhere we were able to be alone without Ron stalking Draco, Lisa attacking either of us, or any other unwanted person intruding upon us. I was satisfied with the choice as I lay across his chest.

While I relaxed against him, I thought about Ron again. I was still hurt, but not as badly as before. You can't make a person like you, nor can you change how a person feels about you. So I decided that what will be, will be. If my relationship with one ended my friendship with the other then there was nothing I was able to do about that. It's Ron's decision where we go from here. I told myself not to mope about because of his choice.

My thoughts drifted from Ron's actions to the conversation my two best friends had in the library that evening. I glanced over at Draco's covered left forearm and thought about the mark. A few months ago, I didn't think he had the horrid symbol. I still remember the constant rows Harry and I had about whether or not Draco had Voldemort's mark. He was convinced since we saw him with other Death Eaters in Borgin and Burkes that he had joined their ranks and was given a mission that somehow involved the school. Before Dumbledore requested that he obtain the memory from Slughorn, he constantly tracked Draco on the map and followed him around when he was able.

I looked up at Draco after remembering the map. _He's probably using it now to watch us_, I thought to myself as I stared at him; he gave me a questioning gaze. I kissed him lightly and dismissed the thought. I rested my head back against his chest and continued thinking about the Slytherin.

This was the first time that I've thought about Draco's mission. The mark I noticed that night in December when he stood there without a shirt and his hands gripping my arms as he requested my help. Later we talked briefly about it in the library when he asked what it was, but that wasn't much of a discussion since he truly can't recall anything. I guess that's why I also pushed the thoughts of his mission to the side. But I couldn't deny the fact that Harry was right. Draco had taken the mark and must have also been given a mission. Something related to the Room of Requirement, we are all certain of that.

I desperately want to know what, yet I refuse to tell them about the mark. I'm certain that Harry will try to use any means to get answers from the amnesiac Draco. They'll try veritaserum first, and will fail because he truthfully can't remember anything past that night in December. I don't know what they'd try next, but I don't want them to harm him in anyway. I don't know the circumstances surrounding him and his reason for receiving it. Perhaps I'm just an absolute optimist and want to see the good in his situation, so I don't want to him to be mistreated to extract information from him.

I wonder if I would have done the same thing had the situation been different. What if I saw him with the mark while he was his normal self? What would I have done then? Are my feelings for him blocking my judgment? I knew that was the reason why as soon as I asked myself that question, but I was seeing a different Draco. For years I saw that narcissistic, vile brat and now I'm seeing a considerate man. I don't think the spell changed who he fundamentally is; it just freed him of the burden of having to fit the mold he has been forced to fit into. Deep down he's really not terrible.

As I drew that last conclusion, I smiled and wrapped my arms tighter around his abdomen; his hold on me also tightened. "What are you thinking about?" he asked startling me from my thoughts.

"You," I answered as I snuggled closer into his chest.

As I was moving to kiss him again, a screech interrupted us and we both turned to the window and saw a dark eagle owl coming through. It dropped a letter in front of us on the floor before departing the way it came. I reached down and picked it up. I looked at the high quality paper with the impeccable cursive writing on the front. "It's for you…" I said as I twisted and awkwardly struggled to open the letter. He watched and waited until I read it. "Your mother is here. She's waiting for you in the Great Hall."

I looked at him and noted his blank expression. My emotions were jumbled and I wondered what expression donned my face.

I sat up and quickly put on my shoes, "Let's go." He nodded and followed suit before we headed stealthily together through the castle to the Great Hall.

From the Great Entry Hall, I pointed out his mother waiting in the Great Hall and urged him to remain calm. Draco looked her over before glancing back down at me; I sensed that he was uneasy, but walked over toward the blonde, older woman. I stayed hidden and watched. "Draco!" I heard her exclaim happily. She hugged her only child and genuinely appeared to miss him. "Why haven't you owled? I expected to hear from you over the break. I know why you didn't return home, but you should have written. I was worried." She hugged her son again, and he hugged her back. I felt a smile spread across my face.

"I'm sorry," he said in a low tone.

She looked concerned, "Are you all right, sweetheart?"

"Yes," he nodded enthusiastically. "I'm fine. I've missed you, mother." She hugged her son again.

"Your father and I miss you as well," she frowned. "He would have come, but you know… he couldn't… but he helped me get away." I didn't realize Lucius was out of Azkaban; I felt the need to tell Harry and the others. "I can't stay long," she kissed his forehead, "But I had to come and make sure you were all right. I was worried when you and Snape both stopped replying to my owls."

"I'll be sure to do so. I'm sorry for worrying you." She smiled kindly at her child.

"I love you, Draco." His mother hugged him another time before breaking away to leave.

"I love you, too," he said.

She smiled sincerely at him, "Goodbye, my son." Narcissa turned to leave after that. I didn't see her full exit because Draco came back over to where I was hiding and blocked her out of my view.

"I don't remember her, but I had this… feeling. She _felt_ familiar… I can't really describe it…" he said while looking down at me.

"Even without your memories she is still your mother and no spell can affect that bond," he seemed to understand and agree. While he stood there thinking, I brushed a few stray strands of hair from out of his face before asking, "Are you sure you still don't want your memories? You won't remember all the times you spent with your mother and father." Albeit, not all of those memories may have been pleasant, but family is still important.

I waited for an answer, but he gave none. He seemed to still be contemplating it to himself. "Come on, Draco." I grasped one of his hands and pulled him away. We needed to leave before someone spotted us.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a review._


	8. Deciding on Desires

_A/N: Happy Holidays to everyone. Here's my gift to you, another chapter. And yes, I know I would have posted it anyway, but this is a lemony treat for your holiday. It seems like forever since I've posted any lemons, and it's definitely been some time since I wrote one. I need to start writing oneshots again. And I need to stop rambling on, so happy reading and Happy Holidays. ^_^_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 8: Deciding on Desires**

The following Saturday was Valentine's Day and also a Hogsmeade day. While most of the students who were able left campus for the Hogsmeade visit, I stayed behind with Draco. Harry didn't question my decision when I informed him that I wouldn't be going, and of course Ron was indifferent. The two left with the other students after breakfast. During the morning I went to the library and worked on some assignments and waited for Draco's appearance.

Soon enough he made his appearance and greeted me with a kiss to the forehead. I smiled at him while I watched him take a seat beside me. "Sorry I took so long." I shook my head before turning to pack all my stuff away. Shortly after, we headed to my tower to drop off my things before we spent our Saturday together.

That evening before the other students all returned, we crept into Professor Cuthbert Binns's office. Thankfully the ghost wasn't haunting the place. He led me over to the alcove on the opposite side of the office and pulled the curtain to the side for me. I looked out the window at the devastating view of the Black Lake, snow covered field, and quarter moon shining above it all. I was mesmerized by the scene as I moved onto the bed and closer to the window. He climbed in beside me and pulled me against him; we sat there admiring the view for a while.

"Hermione," he said to me while he held me on the bed hidden behind the curtained alcove in Binns's office. I blessed the ghost for requesting this amenity while he was alive. "I want you."

I knew I looked a little worried, "I want you, too, but I don't think we should."

"Even if I do regain my memories, it'll be like the bond I have with my mother. It'll still be there. I'll still love you," my gaze softened and the worry disappeared; he just confessed his love to me. "As long as you love me… my love won't change."

"You make everything seem so simple-"

"It is simple. I love you, Hermione. And I want you to know just how much." Draco leaned in and captured my lips in an intense kiss. I closed my eyes and returned it, allowing him access into my mouth while I wrapped my arms around his neck. His slender arms held me tighter to him.

"I love you, too, Draco," I whispered into his ear after our lips parted. He smiled at me before kissing me again while he lowered me onto my back. Draco removed my socks first and discarded them onto the floor with my shoes. His hands deftly travelled up my legs to my thighs underneath my skirt and grasped a hold of my knickers and pulled them down and off of me. The next thing he removed was my jumper followed by my white blouse. I helped him with the bra while he removed my skirt. Finally, I was laid bare before him. Draco took several moments to take in my form.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he complimented me while he let one hand travel down from my neck to my pelvic region.

"Only because you can't remember anything else," I countered; he frowned at my words and shook his head, but he said nothing and began to remove his clothes as well.

I sat up and helped him along until we were both nude in the alcove bathed in moonlight.

I took a few moments to appreciate his sculpted form. I had seen him before, but I never got to enjoy the sight that was him. He was beautiful, truly beautiful. And somehow he seemed unearthly with his pale skin and ivory blonde hair glowing from the moon's kiss. I reached forward and tentatively touched his abdomen to make sure he was really there, and not some figment of my vivid imagination.

Draco took my outstretched palm and kissed it softly before pulling me against him once more. He kissed me slowly and deeply while he held my back and kept me against him. I wrapped my arms tightly around him as he began to lower me once again onto my back with my legs on either side of his waist. His growing erection brushed the inside of my thigh, and I felt a warm sensation begin to pool at my center.

My Slytherin broke our kiss and began to trail kisses downward and explored my topography. He lingered over my breasts for a while before continuing his journey downward to my moistened center. I gasped when his lips touched me; his hands held onto my hips and held me in his desired position while he worked.

I moaned and writhed while he licked and sucked and bit my sensitive nub. A gasp escaped my lips when he inserted his tongue inside of me. My heart raced and my breathing became erratic from the sensations he sent through me while he gingerly circled my opening with his tongue, then he plunged it into me. He, too, was moaning as he relaxed me and increased my arousal.

Draco moved his mouth back to my clit and worked it again while he pumped a finger in and out of me. I soon felt another digit join the first and plunged deeper in. He scissored the two fingers for a few moments while he rested his mouth. His eyes were locked onto mine then; I watched the smirk form on his face, and for a moment I thought the old Draco was back.

His lips connected to my lower ones once again and it didn't take much longer for the pressure that had been building to release and send a wave of pleasure through me. When Draco looked up, his mouth was covered with my essence. He licked his lips of the substance then came back up to kiss me once again. I moaned into our kiss and felt his fingers thrusting into me. "Can I keep going?" he asked before lightly kissing my lips again. I nodded slowly.

The tip of his erection touched my opening; he positioned and held my hips and then carefully entered me completely. The pain wasn't as bad as I expected it to be and soon he was thrusting into me at an easy, even pace while he kept his eyes locked with mine. We were both moaning and would occasionally kiss each other on the lips, somewhere on the face, on each other's necks, and wherever else we were able while we held each other in our passionate embrace.

I could tell he wanted me to come first and he held out until I did and came almost immediately after me. Draco pulled out of me and pulled me to him. I was still riding the wave he sent through me moments before. A smile was lazily spread across my face while I rested my head on his sweat covered chest. He held me protectively to him and let his fingers deftly caress my bare back. I closed my eyes and listened to his heartbeat while he did so. "I love you, Draco," I whispered more to myself, but he answered:

"I love you, Hermione Granger."

Draco pulled the faded blue covers over us and warmed me with his body heat. I was perfectly content and did not regret my decision. I loved him and he loved me; whatever lies before us was still a little later on and we had time to think about it then. I wouldn't let the future scare me.

The next morning, Draco woke me up and handed me my clothes. He was already dressed and waited for me to do so. He then cleared away the evidence that we had been there. I kissed him before we left the room. Draco walked me over to the main stairwell and kissed me goodbye. I headed toward my dorm; he headed for his.

At breakfast, everyone seemed to have their attention on me. Ginny was the first to speak. "Hermione, you have a glow about you," she stated while her gaze told me she was trying to figure out why. I noticed Ron and Harry's reactions. Harry was full of disbelief and Ron was thoroughly upset and distressed. He narrowed his gaze before abruptly standing and leaving the table. I stared at his retreating form and wondered why it bothered him so much. I shrugged it off and turned to my meal, ignoring the others' attention.

Before dinner I found Draco, who was thrilled to see me and have some alone time with me. I kissed him like I would never see him again and held onto him tightly with a smile plastered onto my face. I couldn't even fathom that I had once hated this man. He smiled down at me before crushing me against him. I looked over while I listened to his heart and saw Snape down the hallway.

He had a disgusted look on his face and then turned to leave the way he came. I frowned and wondered what he was doing on this floor. Maybe he had followed Draco from the dungeons. I don't know the reasons for his appearance, but I was troubled by it. Did he find a cure? And was he coming to take my Draco from me? I hoped that wasn't the case.

_A/N: A lot of fluff in this chapter. And I was too lazy to think up a new place. If you read Hermione's Elixir Experiment you'll know what I mean, but I actually wrote this first. If I had the time, like I initially thought I did, I would have considered other creative locations, but… (shrugs) Anyway, hoped you liked this chapter, and thanks for reading. And we can exchange gifts, chapter update for a review. We'll all have a nice holiday. ^_^_


	9. Reality Restored

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and has been reading. And a special thanks to Lingo10, DepressionInTheFlesh, Mischa Rowe, greatEXpectationz, and GothicBunny123 for the recent reviews I haven't been able to answer; you all know how much I appreciate them. Anyway, hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and here's another gift. Happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 9: Reality Restored **

That following Saturday I went searching for Draco. I hadn't seen him in a few days and I was worried. He always came to my room at night and slept with me and would leave before others woke the next morning. What bothered me more was that I hadn't even seen him in class since Tuesday. I'd checked the hospital first and made sure he wasn't there; I feared Lisa had regrouped and attempted to confront him again. Thankfully, he wasn't there. But where was he?

I searched for a while longer and wished again that I had that map. I couldn't even ask Harry for it since he didn't want me with Draco anyway. So I had to continue on searching for him the hard way. I finally spotted that blonde hair on the second floor. I started running down the hall and called his name. He turned as I lunged into his arms; I kissed him without even thinking about it, but he didn't respond as I thought he would.

Instead of his arms wrapping around my waist and his mouth opening to deepen the kiss, he grabbed me by the arms and harshly pulled me off of him. I looked hurt and confused while he looked absolutely horrified.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed while showing his disgust and terror.

My confusion instantly melted away and was replaced by sadness. "I-I'm sorry," I said trying to fight back the tears I felt forming from behind my eyes. Before he had a chance to say anything else I turned and legged it down the hall. I kept going until I got to the clock tower balcony; my mind was racing and I barely noticed where I ended up until I felt the cold winter air blowing against my tear stained face. My legs quaked and were no longer able to hold my weight so I fell to the ground and hugged my knees to my chest and cried into them. My sobs were loud and I was sure they echoed through the halls, but I could care less. My body focused on regaining my normal respiration pattern while my mind impeded its progress with the constant flow of tears and hitching breaths. The way I was crying, one would think I lost my best friend, and in a way I did.

I had no one to blame, but myself. He told me not to tell anyone; I didn't listen and instead went to Snape. I'm sure he was the one who found a solution and administered it somehow. If I'd have listened, I still would have had the Draco Malfoy I had fallen in love with.

As my punishment, I lost him and was shedding tears for my lost. I couldn't stop them from flowing so I allowed them to as long as they formed behind my eyes.

It felt like several hours later, but it turned out to be forty odd minutes. I stood up from off of the ground and wiped my face to clear away the tears. I headed back toward my dorm to see if Harry and Ron were there. They at least need to know that Draco was back to his old self.

When I got back to our common room I saw Harry and Ron sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace. "Harry," I called in a hoarse voice. They both turned and looked behind them. I watched both of their features shift and was surprised more when I realized Ron was also reacting to me.

"Hermione! What did that bastard do to you?" Ron yelled as he hopped over the couch and rushed to me. Harry came over quickly as well, but not in the same manner. I shook my head. "I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him," he angrily declared, and I knew he meant it. I wanted to smile then after witnessing that he still felt some concern for me, but I was too numb to outwardly appreciate the display.

"Tell us what happened," Harry instructed calmly, but I could tell he was upset as well.

"He's back to normal…" I lowered my head as I felt the tears coming back.

"How?" Harry asked.

"Did he hurt you?" Ron interrupted before I answered.

"No," I shook my head and decided to give him a response first. "He didn't remember anything… he was just confused when I found him."

Ron's temper subsided slightly. "How?" Harry repeated.

"Snape. I asked Snape for help, and he found a cure… he reversed whatever Lisa Turpin did." Harry and Ron both enveloped me in an embrace. I leaned on Ron's shoulder and cried some more as my friends comforted me.

"It'll be all right, 'Mione," Ron tried to assure me, "It's probably better this way." He sounded too cheerful about this to me, but I couldn't find the energy to react.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," Harry suggested. I nodded and smiled.

"Let me go get cleaned up first," I said. They nodded and waited for me to go change and clean up while I grabbed my outdoor apparel. When I re-emerged from my dorm, my two male friends were also adorned in their outdoor ware and waiting for me. We all left together and headed for Hogsmeade through the One-eyed Witch Passage.

I was quiet while we were there drinking butterbeer in the corner while they quietly discussed some secret information the Order had learned. I was lost in my thoughts and kept regretting what I'd done. The other two noticed how down I was and stopped their conversation and tried to cheer me up. It helped a little, but I was still feeling depressed.

Before nightfall we made it back to the school. I told Harry and Ron that I was going to the library and they headed back to the dorm. I actually went to Cuthbert Binns's office and sat in the small alcove and looked out the window at the falling snow. I felt the warm tear drops stain my cheeks as they flowed down my face to land on the blue bedding.

Was it supposed to feel this way? Was I supposed to hurt like this? Because it hurt like hell and that was the only way to describe the feeling. I couldn't help but wonder if it hurt more because I knew I was the one responsible for it in the first place.

I wanted to clear my head of all of the thoughts and decided to just go to sleep, hoping my dreams would offer some refuge. I snuggled up under the covers and waited to be overcome by sleep.

Around midnight, I left the room, unable to escape the dreams. As I was walking down the hallway on the fourth floor I saw something small and furry rush pass me. I turned around and saw it huddled in the corner. I was worried and headed over to pick up the terrified ball of fur. I noted the color first before I uncurled the warm, fuzzy creature. I instantly knew who it was.

I cradled the ferret to my chest and pressed myself to the column beside us after I heard footsteps running down the hall towards us. I looked over and saw a frustrated Lisa Turpin running down the hall with her wand drawn. "Come out, you bloody ferret!" she yelled through the quiet, moonlit halls, "Your precious Granger isn't here to protect you now." She kept running while she swiveled her head, looking for the transfigured blonde.

The mammal was panicked still and writhed in my grasp, but I held him securely to me and hoped he wouldn't make any noise that would draw her attention. I placed a sleeping charm on him, just in case. The furry creature relaxed in my arms. I smiled, pleased by my actions. I waited until the hall was quiet before heading back to Binns's office.

I lay the sleeping animal onto the bed and then retrieved my wand. I waved it and watched as it morphed back into the blonde Slytherin. He remained asleep and I contemplated waking him up versus letting him sleep. I chose the latter and then pulled up a seat beside him to watch his sleeping form rest peacefully.

A few hours later I woke up when I heard him stirring. I hadn't even realized I had drifted to sleep in my chair. He slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. Then his eyes met mine. He glared at me before sitting up.

"Where are we?" he asked in a demanding tone.

"Fourth floor, Cuthbert Binns's office," I answered calmly.

"Why am I here? The last thing I remember is being turned into a rodent and chased by Turpin after she was yelling some nonsense at me," I laughed lightly at the way he retold his recent misadventure. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head, "Nothing." I smiled at him, but I feared my sadness showed through my eyes.

"Did you help me get away from that crazy bitch?" he asked, seeming to finally piece things together in his mind.

I nodded. "I was going to my dorm when I saw a small figure running pass me and hid in the shadows. I walked over, picked it up, and knew it was you," he glared at me; I paid it no mind. "Turpin was still after you so I put you to sleep to wait while she left. You were terrified," I had to add. I noticed his slight embarrassment.

"Why'd you help me?" I had a strange sense of déjà vu.

"It's in my nature, I guess," I shrugged. "Besides, how can I not help such a cute furry creature when it was so frightened?" I added with a soft chuckle. He looked down right indignant, but didn't say anything.

"Don't expect me to thank you."

"I don't," I said simply. He looked shocked.

"Really? No witty comeback about me and my horrid upbringing?" I remembered his mother and then shook my head. "You must be tired," he added after a few seconds of silence. Draco turned and let his feet touch the floor. "Not that I care, but why are you out so late?"

"It's not important," I said after I shook my head. "But why were you out so late and running from Lisa Turpin."

He looked wary, but decided in the end to speak. "I… the last thing I remember was talking to her, but apparently that was months ago. I was trying to figure out why so I found her during her rounds. She went berserk and began spouting rubbish. Next thing I know she says she going to turn me into a ferret and keep in a cage 'for real this time' since my guardian angel wasn't keeping me safe. Who the hell is my guardian angel supposed to be?" I tried to look as confused as him.

I shrugged again, "But I guess it was a good thing I was out. Or you would've been her pet ferret." I laughed lightly, but he looked horrified by the idea.

"Now you have my thanks. That mental bitch would've done that and I'd have been helpless." I nodded in agreement.

I stood up, "Well, you should get back to your room before she finds you and tries again." The Slytherin looked panicked. I touched his shoulder lightly to calm him, "You should be all right." I smiled reassuringly at him, "Good night, Draco," I turned to walk away.

"Granger," he called; I looked over my shoulder. "Did you just call me 'Draco'?" I cursed myself inwardly for letting it slip, but I tried to remain cool.

"Well, I just saved you from imprisonment. Why not?" He seemed to accept the answer. I smiled at him one last time before leaving him in the room and heading back to my dorm. In some strange way the entire ordeal put me at ease and I felt I'd be able to make it through the rest of the night, at least.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. I hope you're not too upset amnesiac Draco is gone, but we all knew it was coming sooner or later._


	10. Confronting Conflicts

_A/N: Not much to say. Just want to thank my readers. Now on with the story. Happy Reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 10: Confronting Conflicts**

I let out a frustrated sigh as I rolled onto my back and looked up at the moonlit, vaulted ceiling. I blew out another breath as I glanced around the room at my peacefully resting roommates. Presently, I envied them and their ability to sleep without being burdened by overwhelming problems. I sighed again and turned back onto my side and snuggled further into the covers. I was determined to get some sleep that night, but insomnia seemed to be the victor in this little battle, more like a war now. For several nights now I haven't been able to sleep properly; I was too used to his presence beside me and I missed the added warmth his body provided and the way he protectively held me… The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. So I tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on the dream realm. Perhaps a sleeping draught will help my problem?

Somehow, like the previous nights, I eventually managed to succumb to sleep until the morning sun stirred me from sleep to see my roommates bustling about our room fussing over their hair and makeup. I slowly sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes before I let my feet travel to the side of the bed and hit the floor. I slowly stood and dragged my groggy self to the bathroom to begin my day.

I was terribly late that Wednesday morning, but I didn't know how late until I went down to the common room and saw my two best friends giving me worried and disbelieving looks. "Are you all right, Hermione?" Harry asked. I nodded, put my bag over my shoulder, and moved passed the two males and out of the portrait hole; they followed behind me.

All day they remained by my side; I had no idea why they felt compelled to do so, but I said nothing to them. One positive point was that I paid no attention to Draco. That is until Arithmancy. Professor Vector was lecturing about something I had already gone over and had no interest in. My attention was diverted from her and instead roamed about the classroom observing my other classmates. Most of them looked tired and as bored as me, but one particular male was completely distracted and staring at me.

Normally when I glanced around the room and my glance would fall on him he would return a look of malicious intent, however this time there was no intent, but a slight question. My gaze lingered longer than I would have liked, but I was the one to turn away first after realizing the smile I was expecting wasn't coming. I sighed sorrowfully and rested my head on my palm and tried to distract myself by listening to my excited professor.

That evening during our usual time, we went to the library and did our homework. I stayed later than my two best friends to finish research for an Ancient Runes paper. I was reading through one of the old, large tomes when a shadow suddenly cast down over the words on the yellowed pages. I looked up and felt my heart skip a beat, but I tried to look annoyed by the disturbance. As I stared into his somber face I gave him an agitated, inquiring gaze. "We need to talk." I quirked an eyebrow and followed his movements as he took a seat beside me.

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" I asked as I turned back to the book in front of me, but I couldn't focus on anything written inside. My mind was too busy debating whether or not to listen to my two best friends' advice and sever any and all remaining ties with the Slytherin. I've been weighing all of the pros and cons, yet no answers have been resonating with me.

"Like an idiot I went to confront Lisa again, and as I was running away while she was trying to hex me I heard her yell, 'Go ask your precious Granger.' Why would she say something like that?" I shrugged my shoulders while my gaze stayed fixed on the same word on the page of the text. "Do you know what happened to me?"

I looked back up at him and tried to remain stoic. "Why would I know something like that? As far as I know you've been here doing whatever it is that you do. Go ask your friends," I said dismissively as I turned back to my work. I hated lying to him, but I couldn't live with the false hope of having him when I knew that was now improbable. I decided my friends were right about this and it was best to leave him alone and spare my heart any more pain.

"You're lying." I gave him a look of disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"You know something, and I'm sure of that."

"You don't know anything about me," I angrily stated as I began to put away my things. A part of me believed that to be true, yet some smaller, annoying, part was siding with him. "How dare you presume that I'm lying? We're not friends and don't even associate, so why would I know anything about you. Go ask someone who would know… better yet, someone that would care." I grabbed my bag and left the library; tears welled up behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Damn these teenage hormones.

The following day the glares resumed. I must have struck a nerve with my parting words. Every time I glanced up at him and saw his narrowed gaze it made my heart ache a little, but I tried not to let it show. I'd simply roll my eyes and turn back to whatever my focus was previously on.

After Arithmancy I went to the loo down the hall, I hadn't been paying attention until another's voice snapped me back to reality. "What did you do to him?" I turned around feeling the confusion written across my features. I saw the blonde female standing across from me with her cheeks bright red and her hands on her hips. I decided to ignore her and continued on my way out of the bathroom. "Don't you walk away from me," she shrieked as she grabbed onto my arm after following me outside. "What the fuck did you do to him?"

"Who the hell are you talking about?" I asked as I ripped my arm out of her grasp.

"Draco Malfoy. He was seeing me, and then all of a sudden I see the two of you all over each other in the library."

"What if I was? You should have thought before you cursed him, you daft bimbo." She gasped.

"How dare you?"

"Me! How dare you come after me after everything you did? You cursed him and then turned him into a ferret and tried to keep locked in a cage. Why would he want you? You're clearly mental and someone needs to give you your own cell in St. Mungo's." I watched her eyes widen as her temper flared. Lisa made a move; I didn't know if she was trying to draw her wand or her hand, but I withdrew my own wand and hexed her with an impediment charm. Then I stormed away.

My mind was racing and in a far off place; I hardly noticed the person right in front of me. I collided harshly with someone and hurriedly apologized without looking to see who I had bumped into. Once I looked up, I froze for the briefest second before I attempted to flee. Unfortunately, I was unable to. His hands tightly gripped my upper arms and held me there. "You lied," he said plainly.

I looked to my right and struggled to free myself from his grasp, "Let me go," I ordered, but he didn't heed it.

As futile as it was, I glared at him and that's when I noticed how serious he was, "Why didn't you tell me the truth?" his tone was low and somewhat threatening. I averted my gaze once more and tried again to free myself from his grasp. "I only decided to follow you after I noticed Lisa was also doing so. I hoped to hear something and figure out the truth." I glared at him again and noticed his determined face. "I want the truth, Granger. I need to know what the hell happened to me."

"I don't know, Malfoy!"

"Then why does she keep insisting that we've been together?"

"I don't know what she's talking about. I keep telling you I don't know."

"Then what were you just talking about?"

"That night I found you when she turned you into a ferret! That's the only thing I know that happened to you and the only thing I helped you with."

"Why is she saying differently?"

"I don't know!"

"I guess I just have to find out for myself if it is true or not…"

Draco pulled me into the nearest room and began kissing me. I couldn't help but kiss him back; I missed his touch, his lips, his arms around me…

He broke the kiss and held my hand while he walked over to the nearest chair, pulled it out, had a seat, and then pulled me over to him. I looked down at him and desperately wanted to straddle him and capture his lips, but I couldn't do it. I shook my head, pulled my hand away, and turned to leave. He grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap; I gasped from the sudden action.

Draco loosened my tie and then unbuttoned my white shirt. He took the shirt off of me followed by my bra, but didn't bother removing the accessory. Both of his hands cupped my breasts and massaged them; his forefingers played over my nipples until they tightened. My legs were on either side of his and my hands were supporting my upper body by pressing into his lower thighs.

One of his hands traveled down my stomach and up under my skirt. He began circling his finger around my sensitive bud of nerves. I moaned and tried to support myself. I gave up and leaned back onto his chest; he let his hand groping one breast cross over my chest to give the other attention while his other hand was at play somewhere else. "This kind of reaction from only doing this?" he whispered his question into my ear. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

Draco pressed his lips to my back and sent chills down my spine. But those went away immediately when two of his slender fingers slipped inside of me and curled hitting a sensitive spot. My hips started moving with his hands rhythm. I was so close to coming and couldn't wait to feel that release and ride that wave of pleasure. My eyes opened when he removed his hand from my center.

"Stand up," he ordered. I furrowed my brow and wondered why he stopped. He repeated his order, and that time I stood. "Turn around." I did so; his hands travelled up my thighs and grabbed a hold of my knickers and pulled them down off of me. I helped him take them all the way off once he pulled them down to my calves.

I waited until he freed himself from his pants and boxers then I straddled him willingly. He smiled as he watched me sheath his length. I held onto his shoulders and he held onto my hips. We stared into each other's eyes while I rode him. "You feel perfect…" he purred. I grinded against him a few more times before he lifted me up while he stood and laid me onto the desk in front of us. He took control of the situation and started an intense rhythm which was hard for me to keep up with. But he was hitting all the right places and soon I overwhelmed by the rush of euphoria. I felt my inner muscles contracting against his hardened shaft; his body shook and I knew he found his release as well.

We both were there panting. I stared up at his flushed face and couldn't help myself. I quickly sat up and locked my lips with his and tasted the inside of his mouth. He seemed shocked at first, but soon responded to the kiss and fought to take it over. I slanted my head more and pressed my body into his. He parted away from me and we were both breathless. He looked at me through half lidded eyes. Suddenly, his gaze widened as if realization hit and he righted his clothes and fled the room. I exhaled deeply and felt my heart break a little more. Why did I bother trying to mend it before?

I slowly redressed and gathered my stuff together and made my way back to my dorm. I had decided to cut Potions that day and say I was ill if anyone asked. They'd believe it. I never missed class, so there really had to be something wrong if I did.

When I got back to the Gryffindor tower I went to my room first to drop of my stuff and then made my way to the bathroom to take a long shower. Afterward I returned to my room and attempted to take a nap. To my surprise, I had actually fallen to sleep easily and didn't wake up until Harry and Ron came to check on me before dinner and after their library session. "Are you feeling all right?" Harry asked as he sat on my bed and pressed the back of his palm to my forehead. I nodded slowly as I looked between him and Ron. He smiled weakly, "We were worried when both you and Malfoy didn't show up for Potions."

That was news to me, but I didn't know how to react to it. "Oh," was all I managed before closing my eyes.

"Did something happen, 'Mione?" Ron asked cautiously.

I gave him a blank look before answering, "No." I watched him let out a sigh of relief and noticeably relax. "I wasn't feeling well after Arithmancy and decided to come back and rest. It was easier for me to just come back here than to go to Madam Pomfrey, so that's what I did. Sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's all right," Harry said as he stood up, "We'll let you rest now and have something sent up for you to eat." He leaned down and lightly kissed my forehead before departing. Ron simply looked at me before following after him. I exhaled before turning onto my stomach to try once again to find some solace in my dreams. I thought about the past few weeks as I began slipping from consciousness. Things had been going so well before, and now they keep going from bad to worse. If only things could go back to normal…

_A/N: Longest chapter to date. I hope you enjoyed this; I had this planned out, but as I was revising it just went how it wanted to go. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks for sparing my story some of your time._


	11. Trysts and Truth

_A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. After the writer's block, that is. Hope you enjoy reading it. And thanks to everyone who's been reading and for the reviews. ^_^ Happy Reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 11: Trysts and Truth**

Thinking back on all of the romance novels I've read, I wondered when my life turned into one. Not exactly, but close enough. Girl falls for boy, girl loses boy, girl has one night stand with boy, and then girl is confused. And boy, am I confused. Somehow, in fiction, the author always gets things to work out well in the end (unless it's a tragedy, of course), but my life isn't some work of fiction that will work its way out in the end, especially not if things keep heading the way they're heading now.

What was the right thing to do in this situation? How did I even let myself get into this sort of situation?

I sighed to myself as I walked to my second period class that Friday morning. I dreaded this class the most because it was supposed to be the first time I saw him since that incident. I didn't have to say anything to him because no one expected that of me, but I felt uneasy about being within the same enclosed space with him and his first reaction to me after _that_.

I held my breath and walked into the room. Quickly I scanned the area where he and his housemates sat. I felt my breath escape me after realizing he wasn't there. That relief lasted a second before I remembered that I always got to this class before him. I steadied my emotions and walked over to my seat where Harry and Ron sat waiting for me. They each asked how I was feeling before returning to their conversation about Quidditch supplies.

Momentarily, I lost track of time and everything else happening around me until Snape sauntered into the classroom with his usual scowl and immediately began to lecture us on the proper way to flick our wrists when deflecting spells. I glanced back over to group of Slytherins, but only saw Blaise, Pansy, and Greg in the small group of friends. _Where is he?_ I asked myself before Snape caught my attention again.

Throughout class I felt a small tinge of relief at his absence, but at the same time I was worried about it. My concern grew and removed all uneasiness as the day progressed and he failed to come to any of our classes. I guessed it was his way of coping with the "incident." Or maybe something else had happened. Lisa was still pissed, I knew, and she constantly glared at me through Arithmancy to prove it, but I had my doubts that she was responsible for his absence.

At dinner, he still was missing and I was terribly worried and upset. I needed something to ease my mind in the slightest. "Harry?" I called to my friend. He looked up from his potions book and looked at me. "Can I borrow the map later?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me before asking, "For what?"

"I just want to see something…" He narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "I promise I'm not trying to go anywhere. I just want to examine it." He looked over at a tensed Ron before looking back to me.

I waited for his response, but it was Ron who opened his mouth to speak, "It's because of Malfoy, isn't it? You want to see where he is."

For some reason I felt guilty now that he said it out loud and I knew it showed through my features. I nodded slowly. "'Mione, we've already gone through this. You have to leave the Ferret alone. Stop worrying about him."

"Ron's right, Hermione." I looked between my friends and exhaled. I already expected this, but still I wanted to ask. I would just have to wait to see if there was any need for my distress.

Monday morning seemed to take eons to come, but with it came relief (to a minimal degree). Second period the male that preoccupied my thoughts showed up and sat in his usual seat with his housemates. I felt a small smile spread across my face as I held my head down and examined an illustration of a lamia. The rest of the day went smoothly for me since my mood had been brightened by his appearance. Thankfully, it stayed that way since I didn't have to worry about being confronted by him. Draco seemed determined to ignore me at all cost.

Two days passed and we both quietly went through our days. Occasionally, I'd steal glances of him, but things were more or less how they were before our winter break. I was fine with this though.

About a week later, after my nightly rounds with Ron, I bid him good night before heading someplace for some solitude before returning to my room with my noisy, gossiping roommates. He gave me a worried look before nodding and turning to head for the Gryffindor tower. Meanwhile, I turned and started towards the Astronomy tower.

I climbed the steps of the tower to the very top where the telescope and other astronomer tools were housed. I was surprised to see him standing on the other side of the room leaning onto the railing looking out at the serene night sky. I stayed there in the doorway debating my next action when he turned around. I realized the light from the torches in the stairwell must have caught his attention.

When his eyes met mine, he was just as surprised to see me standing there as I was to see him, but a few seconds later his surprise faded and he turned back to gaze at the celestial scene. I stood there another moment to continue deciding on my next action. I closed the large wooden door behind me and ascended the small staircase up onto the platform he was standing on.

Draco exhaled before he turned around and leaned his back against the railing. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just wanted some time to myself."

"What made you come here?"

I smiled to myself, "A recent attachment." He remained silent and detached while he looked at me.

"I'll leave you alone then," he said while he walked towards me and the exit.

"You don't… have to…" I said shyly when he was just a few steps in front of me.

"Fine." Draco ceased his departure and moved to have a seat on the wooden floor. I followed suit and sat across from his with my back against the cold stone wall.

"So what are you doing up here?" I knew he liked the tower, but I was curious about his specific reason.

"I needed to think."

"I see…" He turned his head and I knew he was lost somewhere in his thoughts. I sighed before laying my head back against the stone wall and looking up at the crescent moon through the hole in the ceiling.

"Will you tell me what I need to know?"

I stared back at him, thought a few moments, and then nodded. I didn't feel the need to hold back anything anymore, but I had to know one thing first, "Why did you leave?"

He sighed and threw his head back against the railing he was leaning on. "I was overwhelmed, I guess. I'd been trying to figure out what happened to me and I suspected you were involved. I didn't know how, but I was sure you were involved. I was desperate to learn the truth, but I wasn't really sure if I was able to accept it," he said the last part slowly as if he weighed each word before he spoke it. I felt my mood lower slightly and then I took a deep breath and filled in the gaps for him.

After he was caught up on what had really happened the past few months, he stayed silent for a long time with an inquiring look on his face. I sat quietly across from him and finally felt the weight lift from my shoulders. Free of my own burden, I leisurely sat there waiting on his reaction.

The moment stretched to a longer span of time, and I started to feel anxious. His attention was focused on a spot on the wall while my gaze was attentively focused on his taciturn form. Finally, I decided to speak since it seemed he didn't plan on making any comments any time soon. "Why did you take the mark?"

He looked up at me for the first time in awhile with a vacant expression, "You wouldn't understand."

"That's why I'm asking. I want to understand."

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't really have any choice. The Dark Lord gave me a 'choice', but I know he still expects me to fail and wants to kill me and my family anyway."

I felt my brows knit together, "What were your choices?"

"Take my father's place or lose my mother." He lowered his head.

I crawled over towards him and pulled him into my embrace. I felt his body tense for a few moments before he relaxed into me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He shifted slightly to look at me. "Why didn't you tell anybody about the mark? You could have turned me into Dumbledore that night you found me. You probably should've…" he mumbled the last part.

I stared down at him and smiled, "I know I could have done that, but I didn't want to. It would have been the rational thing to do, yet I did the most irrational thing," I swiped some stray strands of ivory from his face, "Then I fell in love with you."

"Do you… still love me?" My heart warmed at the hopeful look on his face.

"Yes," I didn't need time to think of my answer.

"I think I may still love you as well. It's hard to explain."

"No, it's not. You already explained it perfectly to me," I cupped his cheek and kissed him tenderly. "Wizards try to understand love and everything about it to use it like any other magic while Muggles simply accept it as a natural force and embrace it. I don't want to understand. I'm simply accepting this gift."

He looked up at me with the most intense stare before pinning me beneath him. "You're more of a mystery to me."

I smiled up at him while I pulled him closer to me and kissed him. Some small part of me was reluctant about this, but it seemed there was always some nagging inch of my being constantly being a pessimist and analyzing the possible downfalls of my every decision, especially concerning him. I decided to stifle all thoughts from that part of my consciousness and be happy about being embraced by the one man I was irrevocably in love with.

Thankfully, I had him to help with the process.

My mind shut out all of those negative thoughts when I felt his hand travel to my thigh and continue its journey upwards under my school skirt. My heart beat furiously against chest and I clung to him as his slender fingers played over the outside of my knickers. Soon my breathing was erratic and I couldn't help but moan against his ear as he sucked on my neck and began sliding his fingers inside me and his thumb against my aroused nerve center.

My hips started moving with his thrusts against his hand as he moved back up to kiss me deeply once again. My right hand tangled in his hair and slowly stroked his scalp while my other started lifting up his black turtleneck as it caressed his abdomen and moved higher up. Draco removed his hand and sat back on his heels. I sat up and began removing his jacket followed by his top. I noticed he frowned when he glanced down at his left arm. To distract him, I grasped both of his hands and put them on my hips and urged him wordlessly to help me undress.

He obliged and carefully removed my jumper before working on my shirt and tie. I helped him remove my bra before I rested back on my forearms so that he could work on removing the rest of my clothes. I wasted no time after he stripped me to return the favor and remove his remaining attire.

Draco pulled me into his lap after I removed the last of the clothing. His mouth attached to my neck and slowly traveled along my neck and shoulders before moving lower to my breasts. While he teased my upper half, I decided to do the same to his lower half. I slowly rocked my hips against him and heard him moan against my skin while one of his hands moved down to my hip and helped guide my movements.

The foreplay didn't continue much longer, before I knew it I was lowered onto my back and looking up at him as he hovered above me supporting his weight on one forearm while he positioned my hips with his free hand. The blood rushed through my head as my heart raced and my body waited expectantly for him. I arched up into him after he slowly slid into me.

His rhythm started off slow and torturous, but soon sped at my insistence. I clawed at his muscled back while I moved my hips against his. After a lengthy build, I was thrilled when that sweet oblivion was within my grasp and I couldn't wait to fall over into it. Once I did, my nails stopped assaulting his pale skin and my body couldn't match his thrusts, but I still managed to hold him until he reached his limit and quaked above me. I smiled lopsidedly as he rested his head against my sweat covered chest.

We both lay there panting and sated for a while until we regained our composure. Draco slowly pushed himself up and began gathering our scattered clothes. We quietly dressed, or at least began to. The door opened and we both froze for a few seconds before Draco hurried to his feet and pulled me to a darkened nook crowded with supplies. The two of us gripped the clothes we hadn't managed to put back on and stayed silent.

I peeked over and saw Professor Sinistra holding the bottom of her long robes while she ascended the stairs. "Is someone up here?" she called in a serious tone. I held my breath and tried not to utter the tiniest sound. Draco and I looked over into the dimly lit space and watched her as she walked around the platform before sighing and leaving out the way she came.

Before moving again, we waited until we were sure she wouldn't be returning and then we quickly redressed. I was slightly out of breath once I finished. I laughed to myself and said to him, "Good thing she didn't come a few minutes earlier." I smiled brightly at him; he looked amused and nodded in agreement.

Neither of us wanted to be caught, so we quickly and stealthily left the tower and went our separate ways. Feeling nostalgic and gleeful, I stole a kiss before I happily headed back to my own dorm. I thought I was safe until I felt a pair of hands grip my arms and pull me out of the softly lit corridor. I gasped before realizing it was my two best friends.

My body tensed when I noticed their expressions. I waited to hear what my furious friends were going to say.

"What the hell, Hermione!" Ron yelled at me; his voice echoed in the quiet, deserted halls. I looked between him and Harry.

"Why were you with him?" Harry asked in a calmer tone, but his anger was still obvious.

"Who says that I was?" I countered and crossed my arms over my chest. They both glared at me.

"I went to see Lav and you weren't in your room. I told Harry and we checked the map." It was my turn to glare at them.

"I thought you weren't going to see him," Harry added.

"I didn't go to see him. And what gives you the right to spy on me?"

"We're worried about you," Ron said.

"I can take care of myself," I said coldly. They both showed me their shock; I pushed past the two of them and continued on my way to my dorm room. I went from being elated to pissed off within moments. I loved my two best friends, but sometimes they cross a line that shouldn't be crossed. Maybe I'd go a few days without speaking to either of them…

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^_^_


	12. Bothersome Burdens

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews and to everyone still reading this. On with the show. Happy reading. ^_^_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 12: Bothersome Burdens**

After the night my friends upset me, I followed through with my unspoken threat and avoided them as much as I was able. I thought it would be a difficult thing to do, yet it actually proved not to be. For a little over a week, my routine shifted back to the way things were during winter break, of course not exactly the same, but very similar. The time I didn't spend in class and studying I spent with Draco in some random, secluded location. He proved to be a great stress reliever while I was angry with the other two males in my life.

Though, somehow, I had the feeling it was a mutual sentiment. One day, I overheard Pansy in the loo talking to Millicent Bulstrode about him ditching her and the others more often than he did in the beginning of the year. I was partly glad to take him away from the other Slytherins, however I knew I wasn't fully responsible for is absence. Draco may have spent time with me, but it wasn't that much time. Without Quidditch occupying his time like before, he had plenty of it to do other things, and if he wasn't back with his friends and not with me, then that left one other option.

I dreaded that conclusion, but I knew it was very possible and I had to accept it. The only other place he had to have been was in the Room of Requirement. I'm not sure when he returned to his routine of visiting the space. I could always hope that I was wrong as well and he'd been doing something else. Wishful thinking to say the least, but I like to try and be an optimist.

While we were tangled together in the dungeons (not my first choice of places to meet), I felt compelled to ask him about it. He already confided in me why he became a Death Eater, so maybe he'd tell me what he was up to in there. I exhaled and moved closer to him to escape the cold of the room. I lay there a few moments longer and decided not to pry and managed to convince myself that he'd tell me when he was ready… if he ever was.

His breathing was steady and his heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm. I glanced up at him and noticed how tranquil he looked now. As always, we'd meet and both have something on our minds, next we'd shag, and then we'd both relax and lazily lay together without speaking for some indeterminable amount of time. I let out a contented sigh before sitting up and looking back down at lounging form. It may have been nice spending time with him, but it was too cold in the dungeons for me.

I sluggishly and reluctantly moved to gather my scattered clothes; once the cold air really started to bite, I quickly scrambled to get dressed. After he did the same, I vanished the conjured blankets and then we left.

My dorm seemed so much further away that day than usual. I wasn't that far from the Potions classroom, yet it seemed to take ages to travel the same distance I normally trekked. Perhaps it was the fatigue from my previous exertion. The thought made me smile as I finally crossed over the threshold into the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were in there and they seemed to be waiting for me. They both stood from their seats near the entrance and came over towards me.

"We're sorry, Hermione," Harry began. I wondered why he always initiated the civil conversations with me; Ron only ever began when it involved yelling or some form of excitement.

Ron confirmed my thoughts by speaking his peace, "Yes, we didn't mean to upset you."

"Can you forgive us?" They both wore pleading expressions as they looked down at me.

I stared back up at them and thought it over. Was I ready to forgive them? Sure, they meant well… I guess. But had they really learned their lesson? I wasn't completely sure, yet I decided to forgive them anyway. I smiled a small smile and nodded. They grinned at me and both enveloped me in a hug. I found it difficult to breathe while they held me, but I was pleased to know they at least missed my company. After they released me, I informed them that I was going to put my stuff down and then we could all go down to dinner together.

The following morning we all went to breakfast together and carried on our usual day. In our shared classes I sat with them instead of alone like I had been doing the past week. We ended our day by resuming our study sessions in the library. For now everything was as it should have been. Hopefully, it'd stay that way.

Unfortunately, I fear I spoke too soon. About a week of serenity passed before a wrench was thrown into things. During one of my visits with Draco, he decided to get a burden off of his shoulders. I was fine with the idea, but the contents he divulged to me left me feeling terribly troubled.

"So you have to kill Dumbledore…?" I asked warily as I moved from his embrace to look at him. I had to see if he was serious. Though I already knew he was; who would make up something like that?

"Yeah. I have to kill him and fix the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Hidden Things," he repeated in a plainer fashion.

"That's why you were always in there," I said more to myself; he nodded. "U-umm… well…" I cleared my throat. "That's a lot to accept, Draco." I had no idea what he was up to, and this plan was the last thing on my list of possibilities.

"I guess."

"We need to tell Dumbledore."

"To what end? What can he possibly do? I already accepted my fate. Let's leave it at that." His apathetic attitude towards his own life had me concerned. I felt my brow knit together as I began to speak again.

"You call yourself a Slytherin? How can-"

"Let it go, Hermione. I failed my mission and now I'm a blood traitor. I guarantee they'll kill me on sight. I can't hide out in this school forever."

I cupped his face in my hands, "Draco, I love you and don't want anything to happen to you. If you feel you're at rock bottom then it won't hurt to try to get help from him. What else do you have to lose?"

He sighed, "I guess you're right." I smiled. Even if he felt this was hopeless, I refused to believe the same.

"Where have you been going?" I decided to ask since he's the one to broach the subject.

"What do you mean?" he quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Have you still been going to fix it?" He averted his gaze.

"I've been going to the room, but I haven't been able to fix it. I just… stare at it…" he rubbed his eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore." He didn't have to keep going; I knew what he meant. Draco was torn between choosing his own path and doing what was expected of him to save his family. I didn't envy his burden, but I wished to help him with it. I'd stay by his side if that was all I was able to do.

After my time with Draco, I went back to my dorm and took a long shower while I thought about everything we discussed and what I planned to do with that knowledge. Clearly, I couldn't keep this information to myself. I decided to tell Harry about it. After my shower, and before I did my rounds for the night, I went to speak to Harry in his room. He and Ron were the only two in there at the moment. Ron was sitting in an armchair eating a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans while Harry was sitting on the windowsill reading that potions textbook.

They both greeted me as I made my way further into the room before I had a seat on Harry's bed. "Everything all right, Hermione?" _Harry starts again_, I mentally noted. I nodded and managed a weak smile.

"I have some news for you…" I told Harry about Draco's task. Ron's feature's turned to stone and he looked more serious and upset than I ever remembered seeing him, but Harry's features showed a smug expression.

"I knew I was right," he gloated.

I rolled my eyes, "Now's not the time, Harry. None of that matters now."

"You mean none of that matters now that you're fucking him," Ron spitefully spat as he gripped the arms of the chair and glowered at me.

I turned around slowly and glared at him, "I'm tired of this, Ronald. You need to grow up and let it go."

"How can you even do this? You've hated that bastard for years now. And then all of sudden you fall in love with him. How? Explain it to me," he yelled from his seat.

"I don't need to explain a thing to you," I said sharply. "When I loved you, you hardly cared, but as soon as he comes into the picture you begin acting like a madman." For the briefest moments his features shifted to something that resembled remorse, but just as quickly as it appeared it disappeared.

"What do you mean hardly cared? How was I supposed to know you loved me?"

"Doesn't matter now anyway. I've already given my love to someone who has returned it."

Harry cleared his throat before I began to speak again, "Well, apart from all of that, we still have to figure out what to do with Malfoy."

"What'd you want to do before he got his memory back?" I asked him, completely determined to ignore the ginger male behind me.

"We were going to let him stay in your care," he admitted. "Ron and I obviously still can't stand him, so it was best for you to look after him. I think that should still be the plan for now."

"What about after this year? What happens to him over the summer? And what about his parents? What happens to them?" Harry remained quiet while he thought through the questions.

"I'll speak to Dumbledore." I curtly nodded at him before storming out of their bedroom. I didn't want to be late for my rounds.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Draco asked after I plopped down on the stone floor beside him. We agreed to meet after we finished our prefect duties.

"Bloody moron," I mumbled under my breath before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"What happened?" he asked as he scooted closer to me. He gently turned my head so that I was looking at him. "Calm down," Draco caressed my cheek, "Tell me."

I sighed and tried to relax. "Ron and I had a terrible row." I shook my head and laughed mirthlessly, "I haven't been that furious with anyone since I last fought with you." I saw him grin at me.

"Did hell freeze over? I must have missed it the day I switched places with the Weasel." I laughed at his remark.

"Odd isn't it?" he nodded. I shifted my position and lay on the stone floor with my head in his lap. One of his hands deftly stroked my exposed neck. During my patrol I was upset about Ron and I hadn't calmed down yet; his attention eased my nerves and helped me unwind. Once I felt I was calm enough, I informed him about my discussion with Harry (Ron's comments weren't worthy of mention). I looked up at Draco and regarded his expression. My news didn't seem to affect him in the least. I sighed before pouting about his returned apathetic attitude. If only there was something I could do about that…

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked the update. _


	13. Interests in Insane Ideas

_A/N: My internet was down because of a storm and I thought I wouldn't be able to get this up today. Fortunately, everything's fine now and I was able to post this. Hope you enjoy this and thanks to everyone reading and to those reviewing. Happy Reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 13: Interest in Insane Ideas**

Dumbledore summoned us to his office one evening. I knew this was going to happen eventually, but I hadn't expected to waste over an hour of my life listening to everything I already knew. Did our headmaster want a signed confession from the one sent to kill him? I couldn't figure out the point of the meeting, but it was upsetting me more and more with each passing second. I'd check once in a while to see Draco's reactions to this meeting and he didn't seem nearly as annoyed or panicked as I thought he would have been. He still had no concern about his fate. I sighed inwardly and felt sorrow fill me.

That quickly vanished when the next topic of discussion arose. "You want him to do what!" Dumbledore tried to rationalize with me by explaining why it was so important for him to work as a mole and that he was "sure" Draco'd be safe. "That's not happening," I turned to Draco and shook his arm. "Tell them you won't do it," I pleaded with him; he said nothing. I remembered when he said his life was already forfeit, but that didn't mean I felt the same. And it sure as hell didn't mean I was going to let him be the sacrificial lamb.

While I waited for him to protest, I half-listened to Harry and Ron attempt to enthuse him about being a double agent for us. I tossed them a glare after I couldn't take any more of their excitement. Then I quickly stood and pulled Draco up; I didn't look back at any of the others while I pulled Draco out of the headmaster's office. He remained silent, but I was too focused on my thoughts to care. How could the three of them easily dismiss the fact that they would be putting his life in danger? He's only sixteen.

If Dumbledore wants to risk someone's life to further his own goals, then he'd better find someone else. Better yet, he'd better brew a lot of Polyjuice and go himself. Why selfishly risk someone's life on a suicide stunt like that. To hell with them. Use someone else to get inside information.

Later, to add insult to injury, Mrs. Malfoy owled her son a few days after we were forced to listen to Dumbledore's preposterous suggestion. "She said that the Dark Lord has taken over the Manor…" he forlornly informed me while looking at the words on the piece of parchment.

"Your home? Why would he do that?" He didn't look up, yet he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"He summoned me back," his voice was monotone and his face was completely emotionless.

"What? When?" I abruptly stood and began pacing in the small space. My mind immediately began racing to figure out a way to get him out of his predicament.

"During the next break."

I stopped and stared at him, "That's in less than two weeks." He nodded. "Draco, you can't go." I walked over to him and stood a few paces away with my arm crossed over my chest and a pout on my face.

"I have to go. He's holding my parents captive in their own home." I shook my head and felt the tears well up behind my eyes. He reached forward, parted my arms from my chest, and then pulled me over to him. I was still pouting as I stood in front of him. He smiled weakly up at me, "I'll be all right. And I might as well go in and see what's happening there."

"So you want to be a spy?"

He shrugged again, "Why not? If I make it out of there, I'll be of some use."

Once again, I shook my head, "It's too dangerous. Don't do it. Don't even go."

"I must go…" As I stared down at him, I realized his only concern was his parents' well-being instead of his own. My loyal and loving Slytherin. If only he'd think about what he planned to do. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to his. I decided to concede and hope for the best since he clearly had his mind set on this kamikaze mission.

The following weekend I needed to get away from Hogwarts. It felt like awhile since I've been off campus and this weekend felt like the perfect chance to get away. For some time we weighed the pros and cons about going out, and we decided we would. Of course not as ourselves, but I didn't mind. We spent Friday after Potions in the dungeons brewing draughts to mask our true identities. Early Saturday morning we met and took the potions before performing an invisibility charm to use one of the secret passages to leave the grounds.

We safely managed to make it to Hogsmeade and decided to spend at least one day like a normal couple. It cheered him up for a little bit, but at some point, his problems seeped back into his awareness and his mood lowered. Part of me was relieved that he was weighing his perilous decision, but this felt like the wrong moment. I decided it'd be best to take a break from our exploration of the town and that's how we ended up in the couple's café.

I sighed and brushed a few stray strands of hair from out of his face, "Are you sure you want to go home?" I asked as we sat in a secluded corner of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

For a while he kept his head lowered and fixed on his drink. I heard him exhale before answering; "I have to go…" he said sadly yet held his resolve.

"I don't want you to go," I mumbled as I wrapped both of my hands around the teacup. "I wish I could go with you."

"So that we both get killed?" he asked before shaking his head. "My parents' lives already depend on me. I don't want to risk yours as well."

"They won't have to know. These potions are working well." He gave me an incredulous look.

"Do you think a simple spell or a few ingredients will fool him? That's mental." I couldn't help but glare at him then; he didn't need to be rude about it. After all I was only trying to do this for him. "Aunt Bella taught me Occlumency. I know I'll have to use it to block you out when I'm in his presence. But there's no way I'd be able to effectively teach you in a week." He paused and slowly sipped his drink, "Besides they'd find it suspicious if I brought a girl home with me, especially one they'd never met and one who is responsible for distracting me from my mission. It's just not safe."

"Neither is going alone. He's taken over your home and is holding your parents hostage. You don't stand a chance against him."

"There's no way around this. We just have to hope he believes any lie I tell and allows me to return here." He took one of my hands and entwined our fingers together. "At least I'll be able to see what's going on and let you know. You can inform that saint of a friend of yours for me." He smirked and then leaned forward to kiss me. Draco had been constantly trying to convince me that he was able to complete this absurd task. Too bad it didn't work. We were at an impasse with this decision.

After our discussion we finished our light lunch before leaving; the potions wouldn't last much longer. We did manage to make it back to the castle safely before then. Once in the lower halls, we parted, but decided on a place to meet later that Saturday evening.

When I got back to my common room, I was hardly surprised to see Harry and Ron sitting there waiting for me. As they hurried over to the portrait hole, I continued my journey past the two and up the stairwell to my room. They didn't stop, however. The two both banged on my door and yelled for me to open it or come out. I looked over at Crookshanks as he hissed at the door. I walked over to him and picked him up to soothe him. "I should let you scratch their eyes out," I said as I pet his soft fur. His temper began to subside, but he was still upset by their presence. "Go away! You're upsetting my cat!" I yelled at them; they continued.

A moment passed and the noise stopped. "Hermione, open the door. It's important that we talk to you," Harry said from the other side of the door.

"I don't want to hear what you have to say. And I _really_ don't want to say anything to either of you."

"At least listen," he pleaded. I noticed the ginger of the pair remained silent. I wondered if he gave up and left.

I heaved a sigh before standing up from my bed and carrying my pet to the door. I unlocked it before pulling it towards me. I glanced at Ron after realizing he was still there. Next my gaze traveled slightly lower to Harry's.

I stepped aside and let them in. "What do you want?" I asked after taking a seat on my bed and putting Crookshanks down beside me. A moment later he hopped back up and curled up next to my thigh. The smile that had been on my face from watching him faded after I looked back up at the two males. "Well?" I was annoyed and wished they'd both just leave.

"We've both put some thought into this and we think it would be best for you to break up with him."

"What?" I looked between them; they were serious. "Get the hell out," I ordered them in a low, threatening tone.

"It'll be best for the two of you."

"I doubt that."

"Lisa met with Pansy," Ron finally decided to speak. "We went to check it out and heard Lisa telling Pansy about you two."

"Why should I care?" Then their words registered.

"Now you understand…" Harry said gravely. I nodded slowly while I continued thinking about it.

Lisa alone wasn't much of a problem. No one would really take her seriously, but Pansy is a different story. She's one of the reasons we didn't want to be discovered. And out of the people who we didn't want knowing anything, she's the worst. Her words may not be widely accepted, but those who would hear would surely come after us. Maybe we did have to cut all ties and deny anything either of them says. "Leave me alone," I said sadly as I stared at the floor.

"What are you going to do?" Harry questioned. I shook my head.

"Just go…" I didn't see them, but a few moments later I heard their footsteps retreating and the sound of the door closing behind them. What the hell am I going to do now?

I kicked off my shoes and lay on my side. I looked at the clock. In a few hours I'd be meeting with him again. My eyes slowly closed and I thought over every possible course of action. Being a competent witch, I can successfully charm both of them and they'd forget anything I'd want them to. However, in the overall scheme of things, it may be easier to cut ties.

Just as quickly as the thought appeared, it disappeared. They must all be mental. To hell with them all. We got through everything else; one other obstacle won't be hard to overcome.

Before leaving my dorm to meet with Draco, I'd decided to confront the two females and solve at least one problem. "When?" was the only question I still wrestled with.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Some feedback on this chapter would be very beneficial. So if you don't mind, please let me know if you enjoyed this or not._


	14. Suspicious Slytherins

_A/N: I feel so bad it took me this long to post this. Between my newborn nephew and classes, I haven't had the time to work on any stories. On the plus side, this is a much longer chapter. Hope you all enjoy. Happy reading. ^_^_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 14: Suspicious Slytherins**

We decided to meet in the Stone Bridge Tower the night before he was to leave for home. I arrived first and stayed near the only window of the desolate room. I knew spring was coming soon, but the chill in the air made me think differently. While I pondered the weather, I drifted into a memory of a cold winter's day when the two of us stood on a balcony watching the snow fall. Draco stirred me from my memory when he moved to stand behind me after he entered the cold, dark tower. His arms wrapped around my torso and held me securely against him. I rested my head back on his shoulder; a few seconds later, I felt is lips against the skin of my neck. Slowly, he trailed kisses from the junction of my neck and shoulder up to the space behind my ear. Then he licked the outer shell of my ear while his hands began unbuttoning my school blouse. Once the buttons were all undone he took a small step back and to pull off the shirt; his fingers lightly caressed my arms as he took it off. I remained still and enjoyed his gentle caress.

After he removed the top, he stayed a step away to unfasten my bra; I shrugged it off my shoulders and watched it fall off of me and onto the floor. I shivered from the freezing, nighttime air, but a moment later I felt a surge of heat course through me when one of his hands quickly entered my knickers before sliding his fingers torturously slow into me. His other hand began unfastening my skirt. He accomplished that task and then removed his opposite hand to slowly slide my skirt and panties off. His fingers were against my thighs and his thumbs secured the fabric of the clothing as he slowly lowered himself and my clothes, gently stroking my thighs as he did so.

My socks and shoes were the last to go, but he still took his time and sensually removed those as well before conjuring a bed of blankets. He tossed his wand aside afterward and I lowered myself so that we were both kneeling on the covers. I felt the sad expression written over my features, but I couldn't help how I felt. While my mind resumed thinking of the danger he'd be placing himself in, I reached forward and began undressing him. Regretfully, it wasn't as sensual as his actions, but just as slow.

I had to pause for a moment.

This pause was different than those in the past. I had a habit a taking a moment to admire him; I never grew tired of the urge. However, this time was different and I wanted to stay frozen in this moment. Then there'd be no war, no more deaths, no more pain… and no uncertainty.

Draco was normally patient with my break, but this time he must have noticed something unusual. He surprised me when he pinned me beneath him. I exhaled and relaxed into the soft covers beneath me as he lowered his lips to my neck and began a trail of kisses down the length of my body. I writhed beneath him as he continued blessing me with his gentle kisses. His right hand slipped between us and began stroking my center. My back arched as I moaned and tightened my legs around his hips.

I was so close to my release when he moved his hand to my hip and held me still while he shifted his weight to his other arm. Then he positioned himself at my entrance while he locked his gaze with mine. A breath later he thrust into me and began a slow, sensual rhythm.

His right hand clasped my left on the side of my head; I squeezed it tightly as I moved my hips in time with his. A chorus of moans sounded through the empty room as we continued; the volume increased when I hit a peak and became dizzy with the flood of pleasure coursing through me. My right hand clawed at the flesh of his back. He hissed and jerked his hips forward, ruining his steady rhythm, but spurring on an increase to his tempo.

I clung to his body as he continued grinding against me until he reached his limit. Draco threw himself back and leaned on the cold stone wall for support. I slowly moved over to him and pressed myself to him.

Our bodies may have been covered in sweat and other fluids, but I couldn't pull myself away from him. I knew he wasn't leaving me for good, yet I was too terrified to let him go. He rested his back against the rough surface while I rested my head against his shoulder and kept my arms tightly wound around him while I straddled him. "I don't want you to leave me…" I whispered against his neck. Who knows how many times I have said this over the past week. The one hand he had wrapped around my waist traveled upward and pressed me closer to him.

"I'm leaving in a few hours. That's not changing." There was no emotion in his voice; he was set on his decision and accepted that neither of us agreed with the other on the issue. I assumed his tone was blank because he didn't want to have another argument about it. I really didn't want to either; I simply wanted to remind him that he didn't need to leave.

Draco kissed my temple before gently removing me from his lap. I sighed sadly before crawling to retrieve my scattered clothes. I felt his gaze on me while I continued searching. "Keep enticing me like that and I won't be able to leave." I turned around while I was still on all fours and saw him smirking at me.

I gave him a small smile before replying, "If that's what it takes…" He returned the smile before shaking his head.

We spent the next hour in the tower, but the next morning he still left. I watched worriedly from a window in the library as he rode the Thestral drawn carriages off of the grounds. I sulked about the remainder of the day.

The next morning, I silently began my day. My roommates left for the break and their absence made me feel more alone. True, I still had Harry and Ron, but we haven't been on the best of terms lately; blame it on conflicting interests. Ginny was out of the loop on this, so she tried to cheer me up while we were down at breakfast. "What's the matter, Hermione?" she asked with a worried look.

I shook my head and replied, "I'm fine." I knew from her face that she didn't believe it. I gave her a smile to assure her; still she didn't believe me. "Really, Ginny, I'm just tired. I had a long night."

"You're always there when I need you, Hermione. Tell me anything. I'll be there for you, too." I gave her a warm smile this time and thanked her for her concern. She nodded before giving me another worried look.

Internally, I apologized for my secrecy, but I didn't want too many people to know about my relationship. That thought reminded me of my current problem; I glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw Pansy sitting between Blaise and Theodore. She must have felt my gaze because a moment later she turned and glared directly at me. A second later, she shifted her gaze and I turned to follow it. Pansy had turned to exchange looks with Lisa at the Ravenclaw table. It wasn't long before she was also glaring at me. I shook my head before thinking, _She probably realized she's no match for me and needed help_. I felt a smirk creep onto my face and watched her expression change to show her shock. The smirk morphed into smug smile as I turned back to my meal.

Fortunately, I had no problems from either of them. I told myself to ignore their presence and try to focus on more important concerns. Later that evening when I returned to my empty dorm room, I received an owl. It had no name or return address, but I was certain it was from Draco. I gave the owl a treat before he flew off. Then I sat down on my bed and gingerly opened the tan envelope. I read the neatly written letter. It said:

"_I haven't seen the Dark Lord yet, but my aunt is here. Apparently the Dark Lord has ordered her to stay here to watch over my father. I don't know why though. He looks terrible and isn't himself. That maybe good news for you, but I've never seen him like this before. I don't know if I told you, but Aunt Bella was the one to free him from Azkaban not too long after school started. He wasn't there that long, but he's still in really bad shape. I know the Dark Lord had him freed to use as leverage over me, and I'm glad that he decided that. My father would be in worse shape than he is now had he remained locked away in that hell. _

_I know you don't want to hear any of this and you wish I'd stayed behind. I'm glad you care so much about me, but I felt my family needed me here and I missed them. We might come from two very different backgrounds, but I know you feel the same way about your parents and you'd make the same choice as me. I don't regret my choice to come. Even though I miss you terribly already. I'm laughing as I write this because I never thought I'd see the day when I missed Hermione Granger. And you're probably thinking the same. _

_And I want you to know that I'm glad it was you who found me that night. I know I've never said this to you and don't think I'm saying this because I fear I'm going to die soon. I just feel you should know. I'd probably have gone mad had things been differently. So thank you._

_I love you, Hermione."_

Once I finished reading the message, I folded it back up and placed it back into the envelope. I sighed and leaned back onto the headboard. I looked down at the letter. I had plenty to think over and more than enough to worry about. I remained lost in my thoughts until I fell asleep.

The next morning, the sun shined through my window and brought me back to the waking world. I rolled out of bed and removed my clothes from the previous day before heading to the bathroom to shower. Sometime later I reemerged from the bathroom and went to dress for another day. I decided to spend my day with my two best friends; at least time with them would distract my mind from worry.

I headed down to the common room and looked around for the two. Dean told me they'd already gone down to breakfast. I was a bit shocked, but at the same time, I realized that we hadn't eaten together in a few days. Why would they wait for me?

To my surprise, they weren't in the Great Hall either. I wondered where they could have gone without telling me. I'm sure they weren't still sleep because Ron's appetite wouldn't allow him to miss a meal.

"Morning, Ginny," I said to the youngest Weasley. She smiled up at me and returned the greeting. "Do you know where Harry and Ron have gone off to?"

"They didn't tell you? That's odd." She showed her confusion and must have been thinking about a reason they would exclude me; I was doing the same. "Well, Ron told me they went off with Dumbledore somewhere. I'd tell you where, but they didn't mention it."

"Oh, well thanks, Ginny." She nodded and smiled before continuing her meal.

She was going to wait for me to finish, but I insisted that she go on with her day. Reluctantly, she left me and said she was going to the Quidditch pitch with a few of the players from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. I promised to come if I had time, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I left Quidditch to her, Harry, and Ron; my only interest was when I wanted to go to the games to support my friends.

I said goodbye to Ginny and finished eating alone. About fifteen minutes passed before I left the Great Hall and headed upstairs with no exact destination in mind. I let my mind wander as I did the same. I tried to distract myself by avoiding thoughts of Draco and focusing on thoughts of where Harry and Ron could have possibly gone and what I was going to do about Pansy and Lisa.

Maybe I was focusing too hard on the last train of thought. While I was too busy thinking about what I was going to do and when, one of the two showed up and cast a hex while my back was turned. Thankfully, Pansy wasn't skilled in nonverbal magic or else I would have been hit. I narrowly dodged her sloppy attack and quickly turned to counter with an Impediment charm. I had to stop myself from laughing when she flew out of her shoes.

I waited until she collided with the floor before disarming her; I caught her wand and walked over to stand in front of her. "You know, they say you turn to violence when you're intellectually frustrated," I said with a smirk; yup, he was rubbing off on me. I watched her glare up at me.

"You bitch," she said angrily and attempted to push up off the floor.

"Parkinson, we've always had our differences, but I've never done anything to warrant an attack. So if you wouldn't mind telling me what I did."

Her gaze stayed fixed on me and the scowl never disappeared. "You bewitched him and took him from me," she answered after a long pause.

My brow furrowed and I felt completely confused. I could have sworn Lisa was with him. Was he two-timing the two of them? Or maybe there was some polyjuice involved here? I disregarded the last thought. Lisa may have been smart enough to pull it off, but I already know that the two are working together. I just don't know to what end.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was sure Turpin was the one with him before." Actually, he could have been with Pansy, or at least two-timing. If I knew why Lisa hexed him in the first place, then I'd have some idea what was going on between the three of them.

"She's just delusional."

"Aren't you helping her?"

She scoffed, "Please. She only thinks I'm siding with her. Turpin's next on my list after I take care of you." I had to shake my head and hold back a chuckle; Pansy was mental and still hadn't provided a clear answer.

"Well, do what you want with her, but you'll never best me. Try and they'll be finding a room for you in St. Mungo's when I'm through." Her glare was replaced with mild fright as she scooted further away from me. I'm glad she was smart enough not to cross me.

I continued looking down at her and wondered what to do with her. It would be easy to remove her memory, but my emotions weren't in control at the moment and I may overdo it. I realized I wouldn't get another chance like this though; it was doubtful that she's thick enough to repeat an attack like this one. I sighed and decided not wipe her memory. Instead, I hexed her with the body bind curse and then through her wand out the closest window.

Sure, I let her off easy, but at least the time she'd spend searching for her wand in the shrubbery below would give me time to cool off. She's lucky we weren't in a part of the castle that set along the cliff overlooking the Black Lake.

I left the raven-haired girl frozen on the ground and headed to my dorm. I was certain I'd definitely harm Lisa with no remorse had she tried to confront me as well. It was better to be left alone to cool down before acting rashly. I remember all the times Ron was infuriated and attempted to cast spells which only ended up going awry in some way; I didn't want something like that to happen to me.

When I got back to my room, I noticed an envelope setting on my comforter. I picked it up and tore it open. I looked over the note while I sat down on the bed; it wasn't as neat as the other letter, but I knew he'd sent it. I wondered what he wanted to tell me.

"_I'm writing this just a little pass midnight. I'll send it later today when I feel it's safe. I don't know how long the Dark Lord will be here. Hopefully not much longer, but that's wishful thinking on my part. He summoned __me__ here so I know he'll be talking to me soon. Earlier he was speaking with my father. I wasn't present for the conversation, but I heard some of what went on and it upset me. That bastard treats his followers like that and expects loyalty in return. I wonder if he was always this cruel or is just worse now._

_I know my father didn't get that damn prophecy, but it's not like it was his fault. I only know what he told me about that night, and I can't see how it was his fault. Sorry to be ranting about this, but I'm really angry, especially since he's using me to get back at my father. I wish he'd just kill us all instead of toying with us like this. I know you don't want to hear that, but it would be better than making us suffer miserably before he finally does kill us._

_I should stop thinking about this. I'm only upsetting myself further, and I'm sure it's worrying you to hear about this. I hope you're not too worried about me. I'm still all right, and writing to you makes this easier for me. I know you'd be writing to me if you could (Floo would be even better). I can't wait to leave this place. Another thing I'd thought impossible- I don't want to stay in my own home. All of this is ridiculous._

_Although, I can't help but wonder what he'd do if I actually succeed with this impossible task. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill Dumbledore. I just can't help being curious._

_I'll stop wasting your time now. I've taken up enough of it already. I love you."_

My heart was still racing even after I read the letter. Voldemort was in his home and still hadn't talked to him. I hoped he'd leave after that, but was that a realistic outcome? Of course not. We'd be lucky if he lets him return to Hogwarts. Here he is safe, but his parents won't be. They definitely won't be safe if he does something reckless. I shouldn't worry about that though; he is a Slytherin after all. Unfortunately, so is Voldemort and he may also think like Draco. I hope that isn't the case.

I force myself to push those thoughts aside; they only depressed me further. It's only Wednesday, and I still had to make it through the rest of the week. It wouldn't do to stress myself out and fill my mind with terrible, pessimistic thoughts. To rid myself of the thoughts, I grabbed a book and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Thursday, I decided to definitively overcome the annoying complication. Divination was never my strong suit, and frankly, I thought that line of magic was ridiculous. However, there was one practice I found useful and was rather good at. That one thing was scrying. I learned about it after I researched ways to locate individuals and objects. All one needs is a map and a quartz crystal tied to a string. It wasn't as easy as using the Marauder's map, but it was all I had to work with since Harry didn't often allow me to use it.

I scried for the two and was glad when I found them both in the same area (most likely plotting against me… bitches). I used a Disillusionment charm and _Muffliato_ on my shoes before creeping through the deserted halls to the classroom where the other two loitered. I carefully entered the room. The door shut behind me instantly after I passed over the threshold. I wondered how I was detected so soon, but as I scanned the dimly lit room for the first time I realized it was Snape who did it.

Wait. Why was Snape here? And what the hell was he doing? I slowly moved to get a better view. "_Finite Incantatem_," I heard him say before I figured out his wand was fixed on me. Snape glanced back and wasn't surprised to see me, or maybe he was just really good at hiding his emotions. Whatever the case, my shock was now apparent to him. I just didn't know what shocked me more. It could have been because I was found out or because he was casting a spell on the two females I'd come to hex.

"What are you doing?" I unintentionally whispered into the open. He turned back to me and glared.

"You were careless, Ms. Granger," he drawled as he continued his task; it looked like he was extracting and altering their memories. I continued observing his actions while I felt my confusion bombard my mind with questions to ask him. He spoke before I had the chance to get any of them out. "You were supposed to watch over him. Not endanger him," his voice was in its usual tone, but there were also subtle hints of his anger and annoyance.

"I assumed he was no longer under my care after you restored his memory," I countered with a bit of an attitude.

"I had hoped that to be the case, but you two insisted upon continuing your affair." It bothered me that he knew about us. I dropped the subject and decided to inquire about the current situation.

"What are you doing to them?" I asked again.

"Since you made the mistake of getting caught, I have to clean up your mess and alter their memories while removing what they know." Exactly what I thought and all he had to say. The beginning was unnecessary. My parents raised me to respect my elders so I resisted the urge to tell him off. "You should be leaving now," he said while placing their extracted memories into glass phials. I watched him and then looked up at his scowling face. I nodded before exiting the room.

The entire journey back to my dorm, I wondered why Snape would involve himself with our problem. Was he also somehow involved in Draco's mission? If so that meant he was working for Voldemort. We'd thought this so many times before and each time he proved not to be connected to that demented wizard. Perhaps he's simply concerned about his student. I thought back to the day Mrs. Malfoy came to visit. She did mention that Snape had stopped replying to her messages around the same time as Draco.

What would Snape be writing to Draco's mother? It's not like he's a terrible student and needs letters sent home to inform his parents about his poor performance. Suddenly, to me, Snape became a person of interest. I found it too coincidental that Voldemort summons Draco home and Snape decides to modify a couple of student's memories.

I think Mrs. Malfoy elicited his help to protect her son while he was performing the tasks he was commanded to complete. But that would mean that he's known that Draco is supposed to kill Dumbledore. Why didn't he say anything about this before?

Yes, Snape is definitely a suspicious player in this game. What's his agenda though? Is he the one to kill Draco if he fails? Not if I can help it.

When I get back to my room, I pull out a quill, ink, and parchment. I moved over to my messy desk and began writing:

"_I miss you so much, and I have so much to tell you. But I'm glad you're well. I can't wait to have you back here with me._

_Anyway, I want you to know that the one problem we had is resolved. I had some help with it, and was surprised when he decided to aid me. We'll talk about this more when you get back. I just wanted to let you know that we don't have to worry about that dilemma anymore._

_Stay safe, my love, and sorry about the short letter. Can't wait to see you again. _

_Love always."_

Not the most articulate message on my part, but I planned to charm it so it appeared to come from Pansy. Hopefully, no one would become suspicious and decided to examine it closely. More importantly, I hope Draco understands what I'm trying to say. I'm confident he'll realize it's really from me; I just can't speak plainly to tell him every detail. It's too dangerous when Voldemort is likely to still be in his vicinity.

Once the letter is charmed in Pansy's script, I sealed it away in an envelope and placed it inside my nightstand drawer. I'll have to send it the next time he sends me a message; hopefully it'll be a safe time to receive the message.

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. I enjoyed writing it, especially Draco's letters. Anyway, thanks for reading and feel free to give some feedback._

_By the way, next week's my birthday so I may not be posting a chapter since I plan to be out of town. If I'm able, I'll get chapter 15 up. I'm not sure though._


	15. Benefitting from Betrayal

_A/N: Thanks to Mondo89, Mischa Rowe, and DepressionInTheFlesh for the birthday wishes. I had a great time, but I feel bad for not updating last week. I did try before I left my computer behind for the weekend. Anyway, I'm back with a new chapter that I hope you'll enjoy. Thanks to everyone who has been reading. I appreciate the reviews as well. Sorry I haven't had time to answer them personally. OK, enough of my ramblings. Happy reading. ^_^_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 15: Benefitting from Betrayal**

A few days after I sent my message to Draco, he replied with one of his own stating that he was slightly confused by my last message (which I figured would be the case) and that Voldemort left with his aunt, Bellatrix, to complete some secret task. The last bit simultaneously thrilled and worried me. I was glad that he and his family were free of the oppressive presence of his aunt and that bastard, but, of course, when Voldemort is plotting something, it would be a cause for me to worry.

Thanks to Snape, however, I haven't had any extra disturbances to worry about. So I spent the remainder of my week impatiently awaiting the return of my boyfriend while spending time with Ginny, the only one in my small circle of friends who hasn't been treating me differently. Of course, no one has told her about my relationship; maybe she'd react the same way as her brother and boyfriend if she learned the truth. There was no reason to do that, though. Neither of the other two told her and I didn't feel compelled to. So, sorry Ginny, guess it'll have to remain amongst the few people who know.

Since she wasn't aware of anything, she didn't notice my restless mood at dinner on Sunday, the evening before classes resumed. Most of the students who had gone away over the break had returned; Draco was amongst those who hadn't. I tried to stay focused on my meal in front of me and the conversation Ginny was trying to have, but my attention kept slipping from those two tasks to check the entrance every few minutes. Despite my impatience, I realized we wouldn't be able to meet right away, but I at least wanted to see that no physical harm was done to him. Though the pessimist in me said he may appear superficially fine and have hidden damage which could have been internal or masked by spells and potions. I sighed and tried not to focus on negative, paranoid thoughts.

Those thoughts rapidly vanished and were replaced with a large smile spread across my face when he finally appeared with Blaise. Harry, who had entered with Ron not too long ago, noticed it and checked to see why my mood was lifted and then he scowled at me. Ron must have noticed his reaction and his mood fell as when he saw the Slytherin. I didn't care though; I was content and felt the stress and worry flow from me. He was back and seemingly in one piece. I'd thoroughly examine him myself later.

A week had passed since his return and we still hadn't spent any time together. It was odd that there were so many matters keeping us apart, but I decided to fix that. I knew he had patrols this night and I intended to surprise him with a visit. The journey to the dungeons was for once a welcomed trip… that is, until I reached the darkened halls and heard two familiar voices.

"You have to end your affair with Hermione Granger," I heard Snape angrily command. I peaked around the corner and saw Draco's body tense slightly, but his voice was perfectly clear and cold.

"What are you talking about? Why would I be involved with her?" I felt the sharpest pain in my heart, but I tried to ignore it. I knew he was putting on a front for Snape. He doesn't know that Snape knows about us. After all, my message wasn't clear and I didn't have time to catch him up. That knowledge still didn't dull the sting of his words.

"Don't take me as a fool. I know about the two of you. You know I have to watch after you."

"No one asked you to."

"You know about the unbreakable vow between your mother and me." I watched Draco turn and lower his head. "I promised to protect you, and I can't do that when you recklessly put your life in danger."

"What danger? Even if I was having an affair with her, how would that place my life in danger? She's nothing."

"She'll be the death of you and your parents if anyone learns the truth. I already had to take care of Lisa Turpin and Pansy Parkinson for your carelessness."

"I would have handled them."

"Handle the tasks the Dark Lord assigned to you," he hissed at him. I couldn't see Draco's face, but I knew he was glaring at his Head of House.

"I am," he bit back.

"Then he wouldn't have summoned you home. He expected this to be finished months ago."

"I know that. And if it's escaped your attention, I had a setback. But it's working out to my benefit now."

"How so?"

"I discussed this with the Dark Lord. I convinced him that I'd be able to split up the three of them, and it's working." Snape remained silent, but I knew he was thinking about Draco's words; so was I.

As I listened to his conversation, I tried my best to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why would he continue to lie after Snape admitted to knowing the truth? Maybe he doesn't trust Snape; I noticed that he'd been more distant towards him this year than any other. I kept trying to convince myself that I believed Draco and trusted him completely, but things weren't adding up. Why would Snape make an unbreakable vow with his mother? Though it does explain why they have been maintaining a correspondence.

I withdrew from my thoughts and listened to Snape's next question. "What do you plan to do once you tear them apart?"

"Granger's the intelligence in their operation. They'll be nothing without her. Once I finish the cabinet and take out Dumbledore, I'll get her out of the way while the Dark Lord takes care of Potter."

Snape gave his student a skeptical look before saying, "You make it seem as though you're protecting her. Why not leave her here to fend for herself?"

"I can take care of her on my own, or use her as leverage should things end badly and Potter prevails. I can always lie and say I left with her to protect her." Snape's skepticism remained, and my doubt grew. He had to be telling the truth. His plan seemed too detailed to have just been made up on the spot. My heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. I wanted to hear the rest, but I couldn't stand hearing anything else from him.

Thankful for the charm on myself, I ran back to my dorm and crashed on my bed. Tears escaped me causing my body to be rocked with sobs. I knew I had to tell someone about this, but I just couldn't do it then. I just wanted to be alone.

Two weeks passed and I tried my best not to think about him and avoid him at all costs. I was successful for the most part until one Tuesday evening when I was alone in the library after Harry and Ron ended our study session.

The library was nearly empty and I had moved to a secluded corner to avoid distractions and annoyances. He came over to me quietly and attempted to kiss me, but I rejected his gesture. I saw the frown on his face as he reached out to touch my shoulder. I recoiled from his touch. There was a silence and stillness for a few moments; I looked up and through the window and noticed his reflection. Draco was still frowning and standing up straight in his same spot beside me.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" I stayed silent and lowered my gaze to the windowsill; I didn't want him to catch me looking at his reflection. "I thought you'd be happy to see me." I still didn't answer him; he let out a frustrated sigh. "Did I do something… or not do something?"

I weighed his question and debated how I would answer him. I wanted to believe he was lying to Snape and truly loved me, but what if I was really a fool and have been letting him use me all this time. I felt the tears forming behind my eyes; I didn't want to accept that and hoped it wasn't the truth, but how am I supposed to ask him about it? He'll think I don't trust him. Do I trust him? If I did, I wouldn't be asking these questions. I would know he was lying to Snape.

Maybe it's just been my naïve hope that after all of this time I've become something more than "Mudblood Granger."

I may have been wrong.

I listened to him sigh again before turning to leave without another word. He stopped and I felt his gaze on me; I didn't turn around though.

Three days later, I was sitting in my common room with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Ron was playing chess while Harry poured over that potions text with Ginny at his side; meanwhile, I sat in one of the chairs along the wall with my right arm on the nearest table and my head resting upon my palm. I watched the two boys and felt the overwhelming boredom course through me.

"Hermione?" I looked over to Harry. They decided to resume behaving civilly towards me since I stopped associating with Draco. "Are you coming to the Hufflepuff party with us later?" I still didn't understand why they started having inter-house parties. Our dorm locations weren't exactly public knowledge; so starting this trend seemed to defeat the purpose to me, but I'd go. I enjoyed myself at the Ravenclaw party at the end of the break, especially since Lisa's no longer concerned with me.

I nodded, "Sure, I'll go, too." He smiled at me. Ginny perked up as well. She left Harry's side to sit beside me and began talking my ears off about outfits, hair, and makeup. I simply smiled at her; her enthusiasm wasn't contagious and didn't get me in the partying mood, but a smile could mask my indifference.

After we were all ready, we left the Gryffindor tower and went to the appropriate meeting spot. It was good to know they weren't giving out the password to their dormitory, but it was interesting to see where it was hidden. A seventh year boy and girl took turns coming out periodically to let other students in. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I entered in with a few of the Ravenclaw sixth years; they seemed to be expecting this to be the highlight of their weekend. I wished that something like this would lift my mood, but I knew that wouldn't happen since I was still depressed over Draco's betrayal.

We passed through the barrel entrance into the common room where the other students were. Inside their common room, it was decorated in their house colors, as expected, but it had an "earthy" feel to the place. Presently, the normal furniture wasn't in the room since they cleared it to have a larger dance floor, but it all seemed very comfortable. I would have enjoyed coming back to a place like this after a day of classes.

Ginny stopped my examination of the room when she pulled me further inside. I glanced over the crowded room and noticed how many people were having a good time. Perhaps these parties weren't such a bad idea.

Once again, Ginny brought me from my thoughts when she yelled to ask Harry to dance with her. He reluctantly went along; they left Ron and I standing against one of the walls. I noticed how much he was fidgeting beside me. I was about to ask him about it when Lavender made her way in and pulled him out to the dance floor.

Not having an attachment to the area, I left my spot and went to grab a drink, which somebody had spiked. I contemplated drinking it for awhile; then I stopped worrying about it and brought it along while I found a seat along the wall on one of the remaining armchairs. I wasn't sure how much time passed before Ginny came over to me with the widest grin on her face and a cup in her hand. "Hermione, why aren't you dancing?" she asked; her words were slightly slurred. "Come on. You danced at the last party. Let's go have fun." She attempted to pull me up with her free hand. I stayed seated, however.

"I'll be up in a little while. It's still early."

She pouted for a moment and then answered cheerfully, "All right, I'm going to look for Harry." I watched Ginny head towards the dance floor; I almost jumped up when she stumbled.

I attempted to dance a little while later, but that didn't last long. Cormac McLaggen was the reason I decided to leave. He asked me for a dance, but afterward he continued following me around. Whatever was in the punch made me tolerate him more than usual, but that eventually didn't help. I decided to slip away without catching his attention and that of my friends. I was sure they'd make me stay if they saw me trying to leave.

Outside the Hufflepuff entrance, I let out a breath and enjoyed the cool air around me. After enjoying the sensation, I began heading back to my dorm. I felt myself sway a bit and realized I shouldn't have had that last cup. Sure I wasn't drunk, but I was a bit tipsy and my motor functions were feeling the effects of the alcohol. On the third floor, I stopped and leaned against the wall to rest for a moment. I heard footsteps coming towards me; I didn't bother to check where exactly it was coming from. Maybe it was another Gryffindor heading back; we could go together and I'd have someone to help me along.

The person approached a few moments later. It was a familiar face, but not one I'd hope to see.

Draco stopped when he saw me there; I caught the concern written on his features. I briefly considered it. Maybe he had been lying to his Head of House if he still showed these types of feeling for me. I stayed still and silent while we both looked at each other.

He finally broke the silence with a question. "Are you all right?" I gave him a lopsided smile and nodded.

"Perfectly well," I was surprised my words weren't slurred.

"What have you been drinking?"

"Frankly, I have no idea." I watched his perfect lips form a frown. Damn, I really want to kiss him.

For a moment, I thought he read my mind when he moved closer to me. I was slightly disappointed when he pulled me from off of the wall, wrapped his arm around my waist, and began walking. A smile formed on my face and I pressed into him. "This isn't like you…" he said quietly while he kept his attention forward. I glanced up at his serious profile and then down at his neck. I was tempted to lick the exposed flesh.

I shook the thought from my mind and looked forward. If these are the types of thought I think, I shouldn't drink. "Where were you?"

"Where was I?" I repeated absentmindedly. I stayed quiet; a few moments later, I answered. "Hufflepuff party."

"Seems like you had a good time."

"Not really. I wished I'd been with you." I wasn't supposed to say that out loud. Well, they say a drunk man speaks a sober man's mind.

Draco stopped walking and then shifted our positions so we were facing each other; he supported me by holding onto both sides of my waist. "How have I upset you? Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I heard what you said…" I whispered and lowered my gaze.

"What? What did you hear?" His tone indicated he was annoyed, not worried.

"I heard what you said to Snape." I turned my head to avoid his gaze. A moment later, he dropped his hands from my sides. Before I had time to react, he pulled me against him.

"I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it," he confessed; I thought I heard his voice break a few times.

"How am I supposed to know for sure?"

He gripped my arms and looked me squarely in the eyes, "I love you, Hermione." He appeared to be telling the truth, but how did I know for sure? My question stood.

I broke out of his grasp and continued on my way to my dorm. I half expected him to follow; he didn't.

Monday dragged on at torturously slow pace. After my Potions class, I rushed out and headed for my dorm. I couldn't stand seeing him anymore and was determined to put as much distance between us as possible. I was also debating skipping my library session; last time he found me there and I didn't want him doing that again.

Unfortunately, I had a paper due and needed to go there. I sighed and went to my dorm to change clothes and leave behind the books I didn't need.

I had a quiet, solitary session in the library. I thought I was home free, but that changed when I headed back to my dorm.

His hands gripped my arms and pinned me against the wall after he pulled me behind one of the large suits of armor. I wanted to glare and him yell at him for touching me, but I couldn't do it. Instead, the pain in my heart caused the tears to flow from my eyes. His right hand came up to my cheek and wiped the flowing stream away. I looked up into is grey eyes; I saw his pain, regret, and something else I couldn't put a name to. I turned my head to the side and avoided his gaze.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." His left hand came up to turn my head towards him. "I really didn't mean a word of it. Please believe me."

His request infuriated me, and I found the strength to glare at him. "Why should I believe you? You lied to me and used me—"

"I didn't."

"I should have listened when my friends said not to trust you. You're still the same foul, loathsome brat that you've always been." He looked hurt by my words, but I didn't care. He made a fool out of me.

"You know me better than that. You know how I really feel. I've never loved anyone the way I love you."

"Pretty words, but they mean nothing to me." His pain vanished and I expected him to retort something, anything, but he didn't. Instead, he held me still and captured my lips in a fierce kiss. I held my eyes shut and resisted him… or at least tried to. My body knew what it wanted and was reluctant to listen to my head. Draco bit my lower lip and caused me to yelp from the surprise. In that moment, he slipped his tongue past my lips and deepened the kiss.

As much as I wanted to struggle against him, I was unable and felt my body temperature increase as he continued. I felt my eyelids lower when he began trailing kisses down my jaw to my neck. My breathing became labored and my hands moved up to grip his arms. I know how foolish my actions were, but I wasn't able to stop. I desperately wanted to believe and to be with him… but not at the expense of my friends and what I know to be right.

My hands squeezed his arms; I used all of my strength and pushed him off of me. "Not anymore," I said breathlessly.

"Why don't you believe me?" He was still trying to catch his own breath, but he managed to get out his question with the intended effect.

I shook my head, "You've given me no reason to…" I slipped past him, but before I was too far away, he grabbed my wrist and stopped me in my tracks.

"What can I do then? What can I do to prove that I'm telling you the truth?" Why was he trying so hard to prove himself to me? The hopeful Hermione longs for his words to be truth, but the rational Hermione just can't believe that he is that good a liar. Well, being a hopeless romantic hasn't gotten me to where I am today. I ripped my arm from his grip and continued down the hall; he didn't come after me again.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this little conflict. I can't let them have a perfect relationship, now can I? _


	16. Wishing We Were

_A/N: I'm incredibly sorry about the delay in updates. I had computer problems and wasn't able to post. Thankfully, the problem is fixed. So on with the story. And thanks to everyone who's been reading. And thanks to Mischa Rowe, DepressionInTheFles, and greatEXpectationz for the reviews. Okay, enough from me. Happy Reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 16: Wishing We Were**

Two weeks and four days had passed since that night when I left him standing alone in that corridor. I half-expected him to follow after me or confront me again within that time period. But he didn't. Instead for eighteen days we had absolutely no contact as we went about our regular schedules. During those days, I spent every conscious effort trying to keep him out of my mind by distracting myself with other tasks. Since I wasn't satisfied with the information I had already learned, my main priority had become learning everything about Horcruxes. Without a distraction, I was able to devote more time to research.

Unfortunately, the beginning of my search wasn't very fruitful. I spoke Dumbledore about it, and then he gave me a book that he thought would help. In his office, hidden amongst many other books, was a book called _Secrets of the Darkest Arts._ Dumbledore said that the book was once housed in the Restricted Section, but it still wasn't safe amongst those books. So to keep others from finding it, he hid it in his office.I felt uneasy about reading the book, but I knew it was necessary. So, I quickly returned to my room where I began studying its contents.

I hated the vile work, but it kept me focused and motivated during my spare time. My eyes were constantly fixed to that book the same way Harry was attached to his potions text. Ron thought that we were both mental to be so taken with "words in tattered books." He didn't whine about it much, though. He knew that the text was keeping my mind off of a certain person.

My friends also helped me keep my mind busy. That book and my schoolwork consumed most of my time, but I still managed to find time to spend with them, especially Ginny. I regretted not spending time with her. Every now and again we would find time to catch up, but during the past two weeks I'd been spending a lot of time with her. The research and my male counterparts may have been welcomed relief, but Ginny was the balance I needed to get me through the difficult time. I still didn't share my secrets with her, yet her company helped me more than I could've hoped.

We had just been sitting in my room talking. Ginny looked at the time and realized she had to leave. Apparently, she still went to Slughorn's meetings. I said goodbye to her before going to lie on my bed. I sighed and threw my head back onto my pillow and looked up at the ceiling. This was one of the rare moments I kept myself company. I loved to find solace in my room since it was one of the few places I was able to escape his gaze. It bothered me to no end when I sat in class and felt his eyes on me or saw him staring if I happened to look around the room. I'd glare at him, but his saddened expression would never change. I wished he'd drop the act. I found out the truth, so there was no reason to try to maintain the charade.

I exhaled and closed my eyes. I repeatedly told myself not to think about that lying snake, so I wouldn't. Instead I'd distance myself and my mind with other tasks. I got off of my bed and left to take a quick shower before I began my work. I set up my work over my desk, and then I had a seat. About an hour passed while I remained in my room alone. I was surprised when the door burst open and sobs assaulted my ears. I felt my features change to show my confusion as I turned to see the problem. Lavender was terribly upset; her face was red, her eyes were puffy and teary, and her breath hitched with every sob. I still sat at my desk confused as she ignored my presence while she stormed into the room and over to her bed. I watched her collapse face first onto her violet bedding.

She cried into her bedspread, but the fabric didn't muffle the sound completely. I debated going over to see what was wrong with the girl, but I felt it unnecessary when one of her best friends, Parvati Patil, came in and sat on her bed beside her. She gently rubbed her back and tried to calm her by uttering consoling phrases. I watched the display a few more moments before speaking.

"What's the matter with her?"

Parvati looked up at me and shrugged before answering, "I don't know she stormed into the common room like this. I slowed her down to ask her about it, but she couldn't give me a clear answer."

"Oh," I didn't know what to do in this situation; especially since I didn't know what was wrong with her. Ginny occasionally comes to me for help in her relationships, and she claims I do a good job helping her through her problems. I'm confident enough that if I know what's wrong that I'd be able to help her however I'm able.

Lavender shifted slightly suddenly and then spat angrily while her voice broke, "He broke up with me and it's your fault!"

My eyes widened at her outburst. "What?" Parvati looked between the two of us. I stayed still and thought about what she had just said. What the hell was she talking about? Why would her breakup be my fault?

I tried to listen as she incoherently babbled onto her best friend's lap. I wondered if she understood the crying girl; I sure couldn't.

"Hermione, can you give us some space?"

I didn't feel compelled to leave my own room, but the crying was beginning to bother me. So, I nodded and packed a few books before heading into the common room. Down in our shared space, there were no available seats. I sighed and hated the fact that I'd have to trek further to find another place of solace.

I carried my bag through the hall and decided between going to the Room of Requirement, which was closer and would allow more privacy, or my sanctuary that is the library, which will be filled with other people and disturbances.

Not in the mood for travelling to the library, I headed to the Room of Requirement. Unfortunately, I was unable to enter because someone was already in there. I considered the possibilities of who was occupying the space and didn't like my guesses; I quickly left before I had the chance to find out.

I headed down the hall to the secret passage that leads to the fourth floor corridor close to the library. Thankfully, my favorite place wasn't as crowded as I thought. There were a few people spread about the study section, mostly Ravenclaws, but I didn't intend to sit up there anyway. I headed to one of the tables on the lower level of the library. No one came back to this section often and the amount of dust on the old tomes attested to my statement.

I spread my books out in the same order they were in back on the desk in my dorm room. I began completing my assignments for the week.

For awhile I remained in the library alone and managed to finish all of my Ancient Runes work and two upcoming papers. My concentration was shattered when one of my best friends found me and disturbed me. Ron sat beside me with a wide smile on his face. "Hey, 'Mione." I managed a weak smile and turned back to my potions text. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Have you?" I asked dismissively while I flipped the page.

"I should've figured you'd be here." I resisted the urge to glare at him then.

"Well, I would have been in my room if one of my roommates didn't come back crying her eyes out." Ron noticeably tensed beside me and his smile disappeared.

"Lavender?" I nodded before turning fully around to face him.

"Now why does she think I'm responsible for the two of you breaking up?"

"I-I d-don't… I-I-I…" He shrugged as he finished, "Who kn-knows?" I noticed his breathing rate increased; I wondered why, but I didn't mention it.

I decided to change the topic. "Why were you looking for me?" His gaze rapidly shifted around the small space. I was unable to hold back an annoyed sigh. Ron took a deep breath as if to regain his composure before letting out a nervous laugh.

"No r-reason r-really. I was just—I wanted to check on you." He quickly got to his feet. "And now I see that you're fine. So I'll leave you alone and let you get back to your work." I didn't have time to respond because he was out of the aisle before I opened my mouth to speak. I looked at the spot next to the bookshelf where he had just been. I shook my head from side to side before turning back to finish my work.

After his odd interruption, I worked for another half hour before packing up my stuff and heading back to my dorm. I reached my work quota for the day, so I headed back to the Gryffindor tower to take a steamy shower before I went down to dinner.

When I returned to my room afterwards, Lavender was still crying hysterically on her bed. Parvati had returned from dinner and must have asked one of the house-elves to bring something up for her friend. Now she sat on the edge of Lavender's bed trying to get her to eat; Lavender refused. I shook my head before grabbing a book. I hurried out and headed below to the common room.

I was thankful there weren't many people, leaving plenty of places to sit. I took a seat on the couch and stretched out after removing my shoes. For awhile I stayed there lost in one of the Muggle books I brought along, and then Harry came through the portrait hole.

My best friend headed towards me. I let my feet swing over as I sat up straight; Harry took a seat beside me. We greeted each other before I continued reading.

"Draco spoke to me today," Harry said after a few moments passed. His mention of that Ferret upset me, but I didn't take my eyes off of the book I was reading.

"Why is that my concern?"

"He told me about what happened over the break."

"Did he tell you about his conversation with Voldemort about using me?"

"Hermione—"

I shook my head and laughed mirthlessly, "I can't believe I was that stupid to believe him."

Harry remained silent for a moment before commenting, "It's not your fault, Hermione." He wrapped his arms around me and held me while he tried to console me, "Don't blame yourself for your feelings."

"But, Harry…"

"You couldn't possibly know what was on his mind." I tried to utter words of protest, but he cut me off. "Besides, as much as I hate to say this, he may have been telling the truth. After all, he did come to me on his own."

"What'd he tell you?" I hadn't spoken in depth with him about his time at the Manor; so anything he now said would be news to me.

"He'd said that he mentioned a bit to you, but nothing in depth. He told me that Bellatrix and Voldemort left to go to on a mission. He couldn't hear them clearly enough to understand everything, but he heard plenty to get an idea. Based on what he told me, I think Voldemort wants Bellatrix to protect one of his Horcruxes and retrieve another." Harry sure couldn't give a clear explanation. I don't trust whatever that Slytherin told him, but it'd be nice to actually know the relayed information instead of his conclusion of it.

"What exactly did he tell you?"

"He said that Voldemort sent Bellatrix to Gringotts and instructed her to meet him at a cave after she was finished."

"Is that all? A bank and a cave? You have nothing more reliable to go on?" He gripped my shoulders, pulled me away from him, and then gave me a quizzical look.

"It's at least something to go on, Hermione. And before you wouldn't have thought twice about anything he gave up. Didn't he willingly return home with the intent to gather information for us?" I shrugged my shoulders. "He's not my favorite person, but I think he has shown that he's trustworthy."

"Don't be foolish, Harry. You were right before. Don't let his false report give you hope."

Harry sighed and lowered his arms after releasing mine. "I think it's at least worth checking out. I talked to Dumbledore about it already, and he thinks he may know of the cave. We're going to check it out next weekend.''

"You're both wasting your time," I said before standing up. I closed my book while marking my place and then headed towards my room. I had enough of this ridiculous conversation with him. I'd rather listen to Lavender's weeping.

Sunday afternoon Harry left to meet with Dumbledore about the plans for the following weekend. Apparently, they insisted upon completing the insane task of going to the cave that allegedly held a Horcrux. I had originally planned staying in my room until Harry returned from his meeting, but Lavender was annoying me to no end. She went from crying to whining, and she tried to make accusations against me. I had enough of it and needed to get out of my room. As I travelled from my room to Harry's, I thought about the joys of having my own room next year when I became Head Girl. I wasn't being presumptuous; it was a fact at this point that I had earned the position. With a smile still on my face, I knocked on the door and waited for Ron to answer. I didn't want to just barge in on him.

Ron opened the wooden door quicker than I thought he would have. Actually, I thought he'd just yell and tell me to come in as he always did. "Hi, 'Mione," he greeted sheepishly before stepping aside. I gave him a quizzical look as I stepped in.

"Hi, Ron." I headed further into the room and took a seat on the windowsill between their two beds. For about ten, maybe fifteen, minutes, I sat there staring out at the beautifully colored sky and watched the sun set. I heard Ron rustling before his footsteps resounded through the quiet room.

"I'm glad you realized the truth before it was too late," Ron said while he seated himself beside me.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" I finally responded after turning away from gazing out of the window.

"You did the right thing by not trusting him."

"I'm only sorry I didn't listen to you sooner."

"It doesn't matter anymore," He wrapped an arm around me; I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder. "And… I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"The way I've been treating you since this whole thing started."

"I'm to blame, too. I was being difficult when you and Harry were only trying to look out for me."

"So we've all made mistakes. Can we just go back to the way things were before?" He entwined the fingers of his free hand with my own. I looked up and saw the hopeful gleam in his eye. I pulled my hand from his and stood up; I had to put distance between us. "'Mione?" I've always hated that nickname, and now it really upset me.

I took a couple steps back and looked at one of my oldest friends as he remained seated on the windowsill with a hurt look on his face. I blinked a couple of times and thought about what he'd just suggested. He just broke up with his girlfriend two days ago, not to mention my current predicament. Was he really that thick? Did he really believe I'd willingly jump into another relationship? And so soon? Not bloody likely.

"Ron, I—"

He quickly stood and interrupted me, "I don't need an answer now." His speech was rushed, but I still understood him. "I-I… I just…" he stopped to take a breath, "I've wanted to tell you for a while now. I needed you to know." I can honestly say this is the first time Ronald Weasley has ever left me completely speechless. By now he was standing directly in front of me; I felt compelled to act in some way, any way, but I was unable.

Harry saved me the trouble when he entered the room, "Ron? Hermione?" Ron lowered his head and took a step back from me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before putting more space between us. I had a seat on Harry's bed while he crossed the room to come join us. "Umm… well…" he cleared his throat. "So we've finished making the plans. Friday evening after dinner we'll be heading there." He paused as if he were waiting for one of us to protest; neither of us uttered one word. "Did something happen?"

"NO!" we both blurted, startling Harry a bit.

"All right." He looked between the two of us and I wondered what thoughts were running through his head.

I glanced over at Ron. He was leaning against the bed while fidgeting with his hands. I turned my head away from him and looked down at a spot on the floor. Harry began speaking to further explain his mission. I hardly listened to him. Mostly, I remained lost in thought, connecting the dots revolving around Ron's confession and his past actions. I should have realized sooner, but my mind was concerned with other matters.

Harry continued talking; something he said caught my attention. I lifted my head and turned to him. "What was that?" I asked and he ceased further explanation.

"Dumbledore will lift the anti-apparition jinx in the Astronomy tower. Only for a short while… until we return. It'll be up to you and a few others to make sure nothing happens while we're away. The professors will be doing rounds instead of prefects and Shacklebolt will be sending more Aurors. Hopefully, it'll be enough to withstand any attack that may happen while we're away."

"This can be a trap, Harry," I said after he finished. "Draco—" (I had difficulty speaking his name)"—he's told you what you needed to hear. He knows you are searching for the Horcruxes and has found a way to get you alone while leaving Hogwarts vulnerable. This _has_ to be a trap."

"Hermione's right, Harry," Ron added.

"Nothing's going to go wrong. Dumbledore and I held Voldemort off at the Ministry—"

"Harry, this isn't the same," I interjected. "Voldemort may not be the only one there waiting for you. You and Dumbledore can't handle that many Death Eaters on your own."

"It's all we have. We have to take a chance if we plan to gain an advantage."

I shook my head and stood. I walked over to my younger friend and looked up into his emerald green eyes. "Harry, we'll figure something else out. Don't do this."

"I have to do this…" I let out a frustrated sigh and moved past him. As I walked out of his room, I wondered why I was cursed with such stubborn men. None of them seem to have the ability to listen to reason. I shook my head and dismissed the thoughts. My mind didn't need extra worries, but it appeared that it was destined to be burdened by them.

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this, and thanks for reading._


	17. Harry, He Hasn't!

_A/N: It was terribly difficult for me to name this chapter. I had plenty of ideas, but none of them fit in with my pattern. Sorry, I'm rambling, I just felt like sharing._

_Anyway, sorry about the delay. This should have been up hours ago. So I'll thank my readers and let you get on with the story. Happy reading, everyone. ^_^_

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 17: Harry, He Hasn't!**

I anxiously went through my week and tried to come up with ways to stop Harry from going through with his insane plan. Of course, he wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. So on Friday at dinner, I tried one last time to convince him to stay and forget his plan. He shut me down once more, and we both stopped talking about it.

Later, after we finished our meal (I noticed that Harry hardly touched his), we returned to our common room. Dumbledore reminded the students of the strict curfew this night and that the teachers would be replacing the prefects. To ensure his words were heeded, he informed the student body that if a student was caught out after curfew, then his house would lose a significant amount of points and that he, himself, would have detention with Filch for the remainder of the year. I remembered how the students murmured throughout the hall; it seemed they all were agreeing to listen to his commands. I wondered how many would be daring enough to risk going out and getting caught. If I wasn't one of the few who were not under the ban, I sure as hell know I wouldn't be out.

But like I said, I was one of the few who would be out and about after the curfew. Dumbledore knew how well we functioned as a team, so he must have thought it was a good idea to keep us close to Harry. We'd be separated for a short time, yet that was necessary for our safety, so our headmaster claims. I thought he wanted us there for different reasons. I figured it had something to do with Harry and Voldemort's connection. We were probably a backup insurance plan in case Voldemort tried to mess with Harry's mind again. We'd be there to help our friend and to remind him why he was fighting the fiend.

I could have just been putting more value on myself, but I didn't mind being involved. I hated sitting by being useless; this gave me something to do to help and keep myself from worrying.

As the sun was beginning to set, we left our common room with McGonagall. First, she came to check that all of her students were in the Tower. Next, she pulled us all aside and placed disillusionment charms on all of us. She didn't want other students seeing us leave and feel they were entitled to do the same. After she finished her spells, we left the Gryffindor Tower and headed to the Astronomy Tower.

We saw Dumbledore there waiting. Our Head of House removed her spells and we became visible once again. Dumbledore explained the details one last time before he and Harry ascended the steps. McGonagall locked the tower door behind them and promptly stood in front to guard the entry point. Meanwhile, Ron and I glanced at each other.

I quickly averted my gaze before turning to head down the other side of the hall. Ron followed behind me. "Wait for me, 'Mione." He called after me. I stopped in my tracks, turned on my heels, and looked directly at him. He, too, stopped in his tracks and gave me a surprised look.

"We have a responsibility, Ron. You have to go to your spot." I don't know why I didn't yell at him. I should've said, "Leave me the hell alone. If you're not going to do your job, then go back to the tower."

I must have been transmitting my thoughts through my facial expressions, because he nodded and turned to leave. I guess he was smarter than I thought. No, maybe he isn't; I still can't believe what he did last week, and he had the nerve to try to confront me again this week. He couldn't take my hint? I avoided him as much as possible last week, so why would he think I changed my mind seven days later? I hope he didn't think he was giving me a decision period.

While I thought about Ron's stupidity, something caught my attention. I glanced over when I noticed a distinct shade of hair farther down the hall. Why was he out of his dorm?

As I tried to quickly and quietly hurry down the hall, I had a mini-celebration about my suspicions. I knew he was up to something. He was waiting for his chance.

I was slightly breathless when I was closer to him. Only a few meters away, I called to him. He turned and looked surprised for the briefest second.

"What are you doing up here?" I asked as I charged closer towards him. I'm not sure why I didn't draw my wand, but I should've considered it. Before I had a chance to react, a bright blue light came hurling towards me. That was the last thing I remembered before I felt my consciousness leave me.

_Where am I?_ Those are my first thoughts when I woke up on a cold stone floor in a dark place. I searched for my wand. Thankfully, it's still where I left it. "Lumnos maxima," I said into the darkness and watched the tip of my wand light up. I looked around the brightened room. My eyes stopped on a spot on the opposite side of the room. I felt myself glare at the sleeping form across from me.

How dare he hex me, abduct me, and then decide to take a nap? Kidnapping me must have been an exhausting task. I resisted the urge to kick him in his side after I crossed the room. Instead, I kneeled beside him before I began shaking him. "Wake up, you bastard." I kept shaking him, but he didn't stir from sleep. I stopped and felt confused. I closely examined him. I tried a couple more times during my examination to see if he'd wake up, but he didn't stir at all. "Rennervate," I cast the spell over him and slowly his eyes opened.

It's possible that he did this to himself; he did admit it was part of his plan to get me out of the way. But he was cold to the touch. He felt like he had been giving a sleeping draught before I ended up in this room. If that's the case, then who the hell was that in the hall? And why were they impersonating him?

"H-Hermione?" he groggily called while he wiped his eyes. I looked at him and considered my previous thoughts. "What are you doing here…?" Draco glanced around the room. "Where are we?" he asked after he sat up and turned to lean against the wall.

"You tell me," I said with a bit of an attitude. Part of me didn't believe whatever this was.

"I just told you. I don't know."

"So you didn't hex me and bring me here?"

"What? Why would I do that?"

"That's what I want to know." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"As much as I'd love to take you away from here, I didn't hex you and bring you here."

"So you didn't take a sleeping draught…?" I muttered quietly.

"Sleeping draught? What are you talking about?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Sitting in my room, doing my work while I waited for Blaise to get back from Quidditch practice."

"That was hours ago." I said it out loud to let him know, but I mostly said it to myself. I was thinking his words over and trying to detect if he was telling more lies or the truth.

What happened to the optimistic Hermione? Why was I now so skeptical of everything that he said or did? I glanced back up at him before looking around the room, "I think we can get out of here."

He looked over where my gaze lingered, "Did you not check that before?" I shook my head and felt foolish for not fully taking in my surroundings; instead, I thought it more important to confront him.

I stood up and walked over to the door. Behind me, I heard him stand as well; he came to stand beside me. I played with the door for a little while; finally, I drew my wand and uttered the proper spell. I half-expected it to fail, and I was entirely surprised when the door slowly opened. I happily glanced over to Draco; he smiled at me after a few seconds of staring at me. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I turned to look back at the door.

Carefully, I pushed it all the way open. Every so often, after I pushed a few more centimeters, I stopped to check if someone had detected the small noises coming from the door.

Eventually the door was fully opened and we glanced around. Draco stepped over the threshold; I felt no need to stop him. He told me to stay put; I didn't argue with him. I watched as he did a cursory look at the new space. He returned a few moments later, "We're still in the castle. This is the Slytherin dungeon."

"Really?" I glanced around and tried to think why we'd been left down here.

I didn't dwell on those thoughts for too long. Instead, I decided to head back up and see what was going on. If I was quick enough, I may be able to spot the imposter.

Draco followed behind me as I ascended the stairs. He asked where I was headed. "The Astronomy tower," I answered while my breath hitched as I ran.

In the upper halls, there was commotion. I heard a lot of movement and racing footsteps all around us. I wondered what had happened in the short time (was it short?) that I'd been away.

"Stupefy," I heard from behind us. I narrowly blocked the attack.

"Harry, wait," I pleaded and stood in front of Draco.

"Move, Hermione. He killed Dumbledore. I saw him do it."

"He didn't do it. Believe me, Harry. I was with him, he couldn't have done it."

"One of the aurors said he saw him hex you with a sleeping charm. Don't believe his lies."

"No, Harry. Someone used Polyjuice potion. Draco was under a sleeping draft when I found him."

"He's a liar, Hermione. Now move!" We were all distracted by a loud yell and looked towards the source. Someone was now cackling as the Dark Mark lit up the night sky over the castle.

"Hermione," Draco pulled me by my waist against him, "We have to leave now. The Death Eaters are coming. I don't know if the Aurors can hold them off."

"You're not going anywhere!" Harry growled. I cast an impediment charm; he was unable to block. I took that moment to Disapparate.

I decided to go to Grimmauld Place since it was the only place I felt was safe because of the fidelius charm.

"Filthy Mudblood," I heard from the familiar voice of Mrs. Black's portrait. We both glanced over at the angry woman. She glanced over and examined Draco. Her face showed her confusion. "Aren't you Narcissa's son?" He nodded. "My niece gave birth to a blood traitor," she said with disgust before she shrieked again. I cast a silencing spell on the vile witch. She may have been permanently stuck to the wall, but that didn't mean I couldn't shut her up. She continued ranting, but at least we didn't have to hear it.

"That's my great-aunt Walburga. Are we at the house of Black?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Sirius left it to Harry. We'll be safe here." He glanced back at the picture and looked like he was mentally debating that.

Draco withdrew his attention from his aunt's portrait and looked down at me. I recognized that look.

I held my breath while I thought about my next move. I already knew what he intended, but I didn't know how to respond.

I gasped when he gripped my upper arms and pushed me back to the paneled wall. His hands quickly released my arms to find other locations to hold. His right hand cupped my face and held it still while he kissed me. His other hand traveled down to the side and held my right set of ribs. My mind turned off as he deepened the kiss and moved his left hand up slightly to run his thumb over my nipple. I felt it tighten from his attention. My back relaxed into the wall, and I moaned into his mouth.

I was in a daze when he parted his lips from mine. "We have to set some things right," he whispered breathlessly while he pressed his forehead to mine. I looked up slowly and saw the lust in his gaze. As I tried to regain my normal breathing pattern, I nodded. He smiled brightly down at me before capturing my lips again.

My body wanted to be somewhere comfortable, so my mind focused involuntarily on the three "Ds." Next thing I knew, I was clinging to Draco in another part of the house. He looked around with a question on his face. I did a quick survey and realized that I must have apparated us to the room where I normally slept. "Glad we're in agreement then," he said with a smirk while he led me over to the neatly made bed.

While he removed our clothes, my mind reeled. I knew very well this wasn't the time to be doing this, but I wanted to. Yes, I should have been back at Hogwarts helping them and not here with him. I couldn't stop myself though. I was overwhelmed with the need to be with him.

Draco hovered over me after he finished undressing us; I gasped when his slender fingers began playing over my aroused center. His grey orbs locked onto mine and captivated me. I tried to stifle my moans as the pad of his thumb gingerly rubbed my clit. My hips moved against his hand to increase the sensation his actions were causing. I desperately felt the urge to be penetrated, but he saw fit to tease me with gentle touches.

I tangled my fingers in his fine, ivory hair and pulled his head down to meet his lips. He indulged me briefly before pulling back to stare at me once again. "I've missed you so much…" his voice was just above a whisper. I didn't know what to say or how to act; my need was inhibiting my thoughts. Whatever the reason for his calm, torturous actions, I had enough of it. I used all of my strength to push him off of me. Draco was surprised as he fell beside me. I quickly maneuvered to straddle him.

Hungrily, I kissed him as I rocked my hips against his. He returned my kiss with the same fervor and gripped my lower waist. He guided my movements and improved the friction between us. I parted my lips from his and moaned breathlessly as I enjoyed the intimate movements. "I knew you missed me, too." Ever the cocky bastard, but I was enjoying myself too much to care about his words.

A moment later, I grew impatient with our actions and stopped. He continued to watch me as I positioned his tip at my entrance. Slowly, I mounted him. He let out a throaty moan and closed his eyes; I smiled at his reaction.

At a steady pace, I rocked my hips against his, loving every second and every movement of our union. For too long I've gone without this passionate dance. I hadn't realized how much I craved this intimacy with him. I stared down at his contented face and smiled. I realized the feeling was mutual.

Draco opened his eyes and glanced over my torso. The lust in his gaze became more apparent as he did so. Again, he startled me when he gripped my hips and bucked against me. I gripped his shoulders and dug my nails into his pale flesh. Little, red crescent marks appeared as my nails continued to assault him, but he didn't seem to mind. His attention was focused on other things. I followed his gaze and expected his next action.

He changed the position of his right hand so that his thumb was again circling my most sensitive area. I was moaning and whimpering from his ministrations while I tried to maintain the rhythm of my hips. He smirked up at me as he noticed my struggle for control. "Are you all right, lover?" he teased as he changed his strokes over my clit. Why did he have so much to say? I couldn't think clearly enough to retort; I was just so close to my peak. Just a little further.

Soon enough, I felt my internal muscles contracting against him, drawing him in deeper. Suddenly, he sat up and bit one of my nipples; that sent me over the edge. I was seeing white as I came undone. I nearly collapsed on the side of him, but he supported me.

Draco kissed me softly before whispered into my ear, "Turn around…" I acquiesced and dropped onto my side. He helped me onto my stomach before moving to kneel behind me. Draco was between my parted legs and he pulled me up by my hips. I gripped the pillows as he slid into me. I felt drained and incredibly sated while he continued thrusting against me. I had no idea how long it'd been until he too reached his limit, but once he reached that point, he pulled out of me and lay on the bed beside me.

Sluggishly, I moved to lie on his bare chest and never wanted to leave this bed. "Don't ever leave me again. I won't let you," he said with ragged breath.

I looked up at him and saw the seriousness written over his face. I nodded before closing my eyes. Sleep could have me.

It must have been around two o'clock in the morning when I reawakened. I quickly dressed in my panties and a t-shirt before leaving Draco to get something to eat. I had built up quite the appetite in the past few hours, and I was now unable to remain asleep since my stomach was now making demands. I knew Kreacher was somewhere in the house, probably with Mrs. Black, but he'd never procure anything for me. With that knowledge, I trekked down to the kitchen to see what was around for me to eat.

As I was laying various types of food out on the table, Draco came downstairs dressed only in his trousers. We smiled at each other briefly before he took a seat at the table while I fetched a couple of plates and some cutlery.

For a little while, we peacefully ate and chatted about unimportant things. Neither of us worried about the concerns going on around us. From time to time, my mind drifted to what was happening back at Hogwarts, but it didn't linger on those concerns for very long. Instead, I'd shift my attention back to Draco.

After sitting there a little longer, I decided it would best to clean up. I stood up and began returning the untouched food before I cleaned the dishes. The entire time I worked, I felt his gaze upon me; I smiled at the realization and lost myself in pleasant thoughts of a normal life with him.

A loud noise withdrew me from my thoughts. I dropped the plate I was washing and immediately turned around. I saw Ron struggling to restrain Draco. The blonde was struggling against him and had managed to slam Ron into the closest wall, but Ron didn't let go. I attempted to help him. As I was rushing forward, someone else grabbed me and pulled me further from him. "Let her go, Potter," Draco yelled and fought with more vigor to free himself.

"Harry?" I tried to turn and see him. "Harry, let me go."

"No, Hermione, this is for your own good," I thrashed about a bit more; his grip tightened. "He killed Dumbledore. He has to be apprehended. And we won't let you be taken with him as an accomplice."

We both continued our struggle while Harry and Ron held us. "Let me go, Harry." Of course, he didn't. "Let us explain then."

"There's nothing to explain. The bastard _killed_ Dumbledore. I saw him. I was right there."

"It wasn't him," I urged as I struggled; my resistance was wearing me out, but I still fought on.

I stopped struggling when I heard another loud sound. Draco had slammed Ron into the wall again; Ron's unconscious form slid to the floor. He retrieved Ron's wand and held it up. "Let her go," he threatened in a low voice. Harry slowly released me. As soon as I was out of his grip I ran over to Draco's side. After I did, I wished I'd taken Harry's wand. Now he had it aimed towards us. Actually, it was focused on Draco, but I decided to move in front of him.

Harry was clearly vengeful in this moment. I had no doubt that he'd kill Voldemort if he'd been present. Too bad his attention was presently focused on Draco. "Harry, put your wand away," I said slowly as I reached out my hand as if to stop him.

"Move, Hermione," he growled and remained with his wand fixed on us. I slowly shook my head.

"Harry…" I wish I hadn't left my wand upstairs.

Draco must have grown impatient with the situation. He shoved me to the side an attempted to disarm Harry. Harry blocked and countered, "Sectumsempra." He yelled furiously and we all watched the green light head towards Draco. I rushed towards him, hoping to push him out of the way. I saw his eyes widen as I gripped his upper half. I was almost hit by the spell, but Draco quickly turned and took the curse. His painful cry pierced my ears before he went down, taking me with him. Blood gushed everywhere. I panicked and felt my breath speed. My hands were shaking as I turned him to see the extent to his wounds. Tears burned my eyes as they flowed down my face.

I glanced up at Harry who looked slightly remorseful and slightly frightened. "What did you do to him?" I asked as I sobbed. I turned from him and looked back at Draco. He was barely moving and his breath seemed to be slowing as more blood flowed from him. I tried to let my rational self take over. My mind began yelling for me to find some Dittany. I pushed myself off of the floor and quickly headed to the cabinets where the potions were stored. I rummaged through the contents until I found a small bottle containing my desired potion.

There wasn't much, but it would help enough for now. I used the dropper and poured the potion directly on the wounds; I was careful not to waste the limited contents. For the most part, the cuts on his side, back, and shoulder had stopped bleeding and weren't as deep. I needed more to fully heal him.

As I remained at Draco's side inspecting his wounds, Harry came over to stand over us. "I'm taking him to the Ministry. Stay out of my way, Hermione." I quickly grabbed Ron's discarded wand and disarmed Harry.

"That's not going to happen," I said to him. He took a step back while I stood. "Now you'll listen to me, Harry Potter. Draco didn't kill Dumbledore," he scowled at me. "I don't know who it was, but someone was impersonating him after they got him out of the way. When I found him, someone had given him a sleeping draught. And he'd been there for awhile."

Harry immediately rebutted my defense, "Who'd want to do that? Who else knew about his mission?"

He'd asked a very important question, and the answer immediately came to me. "Snape…" I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but Harry's composure slightly changed. I had discussed my suspicions about Snape with Harry; we'd decided to keep an eye on him, but lately we haven't paid him much attention.

Harry exhaled and backed further away. His legs hit the bench in front of the table; he dropped onto the wooden seat. "He trusted him… and he—he killed him…" Harry lowered his head and quietly sobbed. Normally, I'd go to comfort my best friend, but I was too busy worrying about Draco, who was now unconscious.

"Harry, I need you to go get some more Dittany."

He looked up; I was slightly saddened by his empty gaze. "From where?" he asked, his voice monotone. That was a good question. I realized after he'd asked how early in the morning it was. I exhaled deeply before warily leaving Draco with Harry and an unconscious Ron. I popped into the nearest potion shop in Diagon Alley. Thankfully, it wasn't warded. I used Ron's wand to summon a phial of Dittany. As soon as it reached my hands, I popped back to Grimmauld Place. Ron was just beginning to stir while Harry stood over by the window, absently staring. I ignored the two and resumed healing Draco's wounds.

Since I'd stopped the healing process before, there were faded scars marring his once unblemished skin. I glared at Harry's back for a second before picking up Ron's wand. I levitated Draco and guided him back upstairs to the room we had been in. I carefully lowered him onto the bed and tucked him in. Next, I dressed and grabbed my own wand. Then I walked over to Draco's resting form; I leaned down and gently kissed his lips. I finally returned to the kitchen after I'd finished everything upstairs.

Once I returned to the kitchen, I noticed that Ron was finally awake and now sitting at the table rubbing the back of his head and neck. I probably should've checked him before to see whether or not he had a concussion, but I didn't feel like it. Maybe, I'd do really quick check just to be safe. I had to admit that I'd feel terrible if one of my best friends died from head trauma.

I slowly crossed the kitchen and handed him back his wand. He looked up me; I gave him a small smile before I gave him a quick check. I finished then sat opposite him. "What are we going to do now?" I asked.

I glanced over to Harry and watched him fiddle with something. I heard him take a deep breath before he came over to stand at the head of the table. He placed the item he'd been holding onto the table. "Is that what you got from the cave?" I asked as I looked at the golden locket.

He nodded, "It's a fake." My eyes widened as I glanced up at him. Momentarily, I doubted Draco again. "Open it and read the note." I did as he said so.

"Who's 'R.A.B'?" He shrugged. "So whoever he is… he either has the Horcrux or has destroyed it."

"Do you think he retrieved it after Voldemort met Bellatrix?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head and nodded. I thought it over as well.

"Voldemort might have found out that it was a fake and left it there anyway. The trap he laid nearly killed us as we tried to get out," Harry said after a long while of silence; I noticed how he tried to avoid speaking Dumbledore's name.

"Are we going back to the castle?" Ron asked, changing the subject.

"Should we?" By "we," I was referring to Draco and me. I was sure Harry had everyone there on alert and prepared to apprehend Draco. I wasn't willing to let him return while everyone thought of him as Dumbledore's murderer.

"Why wouldn't we? We have things to do," Harry began, "With him gone, we definitely need to get some things in order."

"I'll stay here with Draco," I informed them, they gave me disbelieving glances, "He's badly injured thanks to you, Harry." Ron looked over to our other friend and grinned. I glared at the ginger male. I continued speaking, "I'll stay here and take care of him." Ron was displeased to hear that, but he wisely remained silent.

"Come on then, Ron. We have to get things cleared up. The Aurors should have held off the attacking Death Eaters." Ron nodded before standing. A moment later, he left with Harry. I stayed seated in the kitchen and looked at the note and locket. I thought about it some more before taking the two items back up to my room. I had a lot to think over while I watched over Draco.

_A/N: That was long. Hope you all enjoyed it, and thanks for reading. _

_Oh, I'm curious about your opinion on a certain matter. I had initially planned to limit this to twenty chapters and finish with our lovely couple ending up together, but I had no intention of concluding the war. Lately, I've been reconsidering my first idea and planning to include the resolution of the war along with some Horcrux hunting. What do you think?_


	18. Rest, Recover, Reassess

_A/N: Sorry for another delay. My internet has definitely gone to hell and my stupid provider isn't helping me fix the problem. They keep running me in circles. So until I find a better service, I have to post from my school's library. Hopefully, this won't last long, but I probably won't be able to post every week as I'd like to. So please bear with me; I'll continuing posting as soon as I can. All right, enough from me. Happy reading._

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 18: Rest, Recover, Reassess**

Throughout the night, I slept lightly beside the wounded blonde. I tried to remain somewhat aware in case he needed anything. Shortly after dawn, I forced myself to wake up. I desperately wanted to sleep, but I knew there were important things I had to do. Reluctantly, I rolled out of bed before looking around the room. I was searching for my bag of spare clothes and toiletries. I was still groggy and couldn't remember exactly where I'd last placed it. Since it wasn't where I'd been searching, I bent to check under the bed; it wasn't there. I finally found it when I checked the closet.

I threw the bag over my shoulder and quietly left the room. I headed down the narrow hall to the closest bath. I quickly showered before brushing my teeth. Next I fought with my hair to untangle the messy curls. Before headed back to my room, I dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue, long sleeve shirt. Back in the room, I stored the bag to its place in the closet. I glanced over my shoulder at Draco, who was still resting peacefully.

I turned my attention to the locket and letter lying on the dresser. I retrieved the objects before taking a seat in one of the arm chairs next to the window. Suddenly, I panicked and then grabbed my wand.

12 Grimmauld Place was the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters. Any of the members could storm in here and try to detain Draco. No one had come in the night, but I wasn't sure about the future. Harry left seemingly calmed and believing my claims, yet that didn't mean others felt the same or that he'd return after thinking on it some more. To prevent any mishaps, I quickly left the room and began changing the wards on the house and adding a few extra. Sure Harry would be mad that I took over his inheritance… now ask me if I cared. The only concern I currently had was protecting the unconscious blonde.

Once I finished with the wards, I headed down to the kitchen to check out the potion cabinet. I was hoping there'd be some blood-replenishing potion; he definitely needed that. I sighed and then closed the cabinet. The cabinet needed to be restocked after being cleaned out. From my cursory glance, I knew most of the stocked potions were old and needed to be disposed; I was lucky there was any usable Dittany.

For about twenty minutes, I cleaned out the potions cabinet. I made a list of potions to be restocked, and then I went to check the other supply cabinet. At least there were enough herbs and other ingredients to make potions, but I wouldn't have time to brew everything that was need. Once finished with my few tasks, I left the kitchen and headed back upstairs. I checked on Draco one last time before heading out to get him some more potions.

Before I left the house, I went down to Sirius' room, the room Harry usually stayed in. I walked over to the cluttered desk and opened the middle drawer. I reached in the back and pulled out a burgundy box. Harry kept enough Galleons in here for when we needed to resupply our hideout. I took out what I'd hoped to be enough money and left for the same potion shop that I'd raided not too long ago.

The store was really crowded, but the potioneer on duty was busy helping an older witch. I pulled out my list and searched the shop for everything I'd needed. Once I'd placed all of the phials onto the counter next to the cash register, I waited for the potioneer to ring up the sale. He excused himself after informing the older woman that he'd be back after he'd helped me. She scowled at me, but nodded and turned to look at a bottle of veritaserum.

He quickly, yet carefully placed each of my potions in a box that separated the glasses. He placed the lid on and slid the box to me. "Have a good day," he said with a forced smile. I nodded, grabbed the box, and left the store. I disapparated back to Grimmauld Place. In the kitchen, I neatly stocked the potions away in the cabinet, only leaving out the one I needed.

I closed the cabinet and picked up the blood-replenishing potion before going upstairs.

Draco still hadn't moved in the slightest; I walked over and had a seat beside him. Carefully, I administered the proper dosage of the potion to him. Afterward, I gently laid his head back onto the pillow. I set the potion onto the end table before pulling the covers off of him. I wanted to examine his wounds. Since I used a spell to clear away the blood last night, I was able to clearly see the pale scars. I lightly ran my fingertips over one of them. I looked over the rest of him. I'd realized he was still only clothed in the trousers he'd put back on before we went down to eat. I glanced over to the rest of his clothes scattered on the floor.

The cleaning charm only removed the blood; I'd decided to clean him properly. I conjured a medium sized basin, summoned the soap from the bathroom, and then filled the basin with water. I tested the temperature of the liquid before conjuring a cloth. I took my time while I thoroughly cleaned his unconscious form. When I finished, I tucked him under the cover and gathered all of his clothes; I left to wash them. I noted the time before I exited the room.

While I was letting his clothes dry (I didn't need to use magic; he wasn't in a hurry to wear them), I decided to head to Hogwarts to retrieve my belongings. Since Dumbledore had been killed, I knew they end classes; I also knew I'd be staying by Draco's side no matter what happened there. Ultimately, I thought it best to retrieve my belongings since I knew I'd be staying here for a while and needed more than what I had available here.

I was wary, but I apparated. Fortunately, no one restored the wards to the castle. As I'd been doing everything else this morning, I cast a spell to quickly pack my things in my trunk. I returned to Grimmauld place after that task was completed.

I wondered whether or not I'd be able to apparate into my room. I was wary as I readied myself. I sighed before disapparating to the castle. I was fortunate that no one restored the wards to the castle, but I worried that they should have made that a priority after chasing off the Death Eaters. I put those thoughts to the back of my mind and cast a spell to quickly pack my things in my initialed trunk. Once my belongings were cleared away, I grabbed my trunk and apparated to my room at Grimmauld Place.

For some time after I completed my last task, I moved about my room putting things the way I'd wanted them. The former occupant's belongings were neatly stacked within a conjured box and stored in the closet. I glanced around the room and smiled at the fruits of my labor. I sighed happily while glancing around; my gaze fell upon the photo of my parents. My smiled weakened. I should have been returning in another few weeks, now I feared I'd be unable for their sakes.

I had to let them know that I wouldn't be home any time soon. I know they'd be worried.

I fetched a quill, ink, and paper. I scribbled down my message before having an owl deliver it. I looked at the time after I turned from the window. I had to give Draco more of the potion.

A week had passed since the day I'd written to my parents. I knew they wouldn't be able to send me a response, nor give me a call, but I couldn't help but expect some sort of reply. Maybe I'd be able to pop in to check on them. I removed the thought from my mind and tried to focus on my current task.

I sat next to Draco. He'd been bed ridden all week, but, thankfully, he had come out of his sleep. I feared he'd be comatose throughout his recovery; it was a possible side effect of the blood-replenishing potion. During the week he still spent the majority of his day sleeping; however, while he was awake, he would try to move. His wounds were healed and not in danger of reopening; so I didn't mind his attempts to test his limitations. I just urged him to cautiously exercise his wounded side.

Presently, I was sitting beside him holding the locket; the letter lay on the end table beside me. I still was trying to determine the identity of R.A.B. Admittedly, I felt discouraged about that goal. I spent the majority of the year trying to learn the true identity of the "Half-Blood Prince;" I thought it even less likely to identify a person based solely on initials.

I sighed dejectedly and threw myself back against the pillows. I glanced over at Draco's resting form and smiled.

A few days later, I was roused from sleep when I felt a weight pressing me into the mattress. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a head of blonde hair. Draco was laying on top of me; his head was resting on my breasts. I heard him moan and felt his grip tightening. I was curious about his actions, but did nothing to cease them.

He was muttering something. I listened closely and recognized my name on his lips. I smiled and stroked his messy hair. He nuzzled my chest and then looked up at me with a smile on his face. I returned the gesture as I cleared away a few stray strands.

"You're feeling better today?" I asked.

"Yes, much better," he returned and then shifted to kiss me.

A little while later, I'd ended up sated and tangled together with him. I had my doubts in the beginning; I didn't know if he was physically up to the task. He removed my thoughts and now I lay lazily with him, his breath blowing against my neck. I sighed contentedly and felt all worrisome thoughts flee from my mind. Temporarily, at least.

"Why was Potter using Snape's spell?" he asked. My eyes widened, I sat up, and then turned to look at him.

"Snape's spell…?"

"Yeah, he made that spell. It's his signature really."

"_He_ made it?" Draco nodded. "Harry learned it from a potion textbook. We had no idea it belonged to Snape."

"How'd Potter end up with one of Snape's books?" I remembered the day.

"It was in the Potion lab. Harry didn't have a book, so Slughorn told him to get one of the spares from the back cupboard. That book was the reason he won the Liquid Luck potion," I laughed to myself, but Draco simply looked confused.

"I guess Snape must have forgotten about it when he was finally made the Dark Arts teacher." I nodded in agreement. As I mulled over the new information, I wondered how Harry would respond when he learned the truth. I smiled and laid my head back on his chest. Relief eased my mind; I finally discovered who owned that book. Though I'd never thought it'd be Snape. Draco and I discussed the book for a little while, but soon abandoned the topic when we decided to fetch something to eat.

Later after we ate, I decided to find out what was happening with my friends. I'd expected to hear something from one of them by now. Draco replaced the towel around his waist with him freshly cleaned clothes while I told him that I'd be talking to Ginny. He nodded and then headed back upstairs; I went to the fireplace in the living room. I grabbed some floo powder and threw it onto the flames; I called for Ginny and waited for her to reply. She grinned at me. "Hermione, are you still at Grimmauld Place?"

I nodded, "Yes, I had something to take care of here."

"Ron told me about you and Draco after he and Harry returned." I froze momentarily and then sighed. I couldn't expect to keep it a secret forever.

"And…?"

"Why didn't you tell me, Hermione? I bet that was why you were always so upset." I nodded. "I told you to tell me. I would've have been there for you. You wouldn't have needed to keep it a secret."

"I had a reason for keeping it to myself, but Harry and Ron knew from practically the beginning."

"When exactly did it start?" I guess they didn't tell her everything.

I don't precisely know how long it took to explain, but we spent a while talking. I'd told her everything from his amnesia in December, the problems with Pansy and Lisa, getting his memory back, being mad at him for what he told Snape, and every other piece I felt she needed to know. Once in awhile she'd ask a question to clarify the events, but mostly she absorbed what I'd been telling her.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell me any of that," I could tell she was hurt.

I apologized again; Ginny shook her head. "Maybe I would have done the same thing in your position." She sighed, "I guess there's nothing to do about the past. We have more important issues to worry about." I nodded.

Then a very important question popped into my mind.

"Does Harry still have the book?" I was sure by now that she understood the reason for my concern. I waited for her response.

"I hid it away in the Room of Requirement. He told me what happened and I knew I had to get rid of it. No one should be able to find it now." I hoped that was the case, but part of me had doubts.

"Thank you. It's better for everyone if the book is gone. Though it should really be destroyed."

"You're right, but my mind was simply concerned with getting rid of the book and that was the first way that popped into head."

"I'm glad it's gone."

"I wonder what wizard once owned that book. Based on your description of Malfoy's wounds, it had to be a really dark wizard."

I realized then that I'd neglected to mention the owner of the book. "It belonged to Snape."

"What? Snape?" I nodded. "How do you know that?"

"You know that I couldn't find the 'Half-Blood Prince' referenced anywhere in any texts," she nodded. "That's because it wouldn't be in any texts. Draco told me that Snape created that spell, but he knew nothing of the name inscribed."

"So how was he sure it was Snape?"

"He told me about Snape's time at Hogwarts. Draco's father told him a lot about Snape's school years. He'd considered the 'Prince' part and realized it was Snape's mother's maiden name. So I went to research Snape's origin. Turns out he's a half-blood."

Ginny looked surprised. "I never knew that, I don't think my parents know that."

"I don't reckon many people do. Draco was surprised as well. Maybe the Malfoys didn't know either."

"Are we going to tell Harry about this?" I had planned to; I was glad to finally figure out the owner of that damn book. However, Ginny's concern made me reconsider. I shook my head. Maybe it'd be best not to mention it. After all, the book is gone for good.

While I mentally questioned its location, Ginny changed the subject and informed me about what was happening there.

"Mum told me that the Order is trying to meet soon. They're afraid that they're too weak and will fall if Voldemort decides to attack now."

"Do they really think he'll do it with all the Aurors around? Dumbledore may be gone, but they'll surely remain vigilant to protect Harry."

I watched her shrug and shake her head. "I'm not sure about anything. I still can't get over his death."

"I know… it seems so surreal…"

"They're burying him today. On that little island out in the Black Lake. The professors are allowing the students to come, but they don't want the rest of the Wizarding world to know. I think it's a preventive measure, in case Death Eaters plan to infiltrate the ceremony."

"Is Harry going?"

Ginny frowned. "I don't know. He spent part of the night with me. Then he left. Later McGonagall told me he'd been in Dumbledore's office."

"Poor Harry. He's suffered more than any of us… and it keeps getting worse. He shouldn't have to deal with all of this."

She nodded, "I know, I want to stay by his side for support, but I also want to give him his space. I'm just trying to find the balance." My younger friend looked deeply troubled. I tried to cheer her up; I'm not sure if it helped. We discussed one more matter before she was called away. We said our goodbyes and then her visage disappeared from sight.

A few days later, Ginny flooed me. She told me that the order was meeting at a new hideout. They wanted a new safe spot now that Hogwarts was questionably secure, at best. "Everyone abandoned Hogwarts shortly after Dumbledore's funeral. Harry's at home with us."

"He didn't go back to the Dursleys?"

As Ginny shook her head, she said, "No, I think he wants to stay around to see what the Order's plans are."

"Oh… Is he still vengeful?"

"He's still angry, but not hell-bent on finding whoever killed Dumbledore."

"You don't think Snape did it?"

"Lupin said not to accuse him. Everyone seemed willing to believe Malfoy didn't do it, but only because you believe he didn't. They trust your judgment."

"Then why don't they believe it could be Snape?"

"Mad-Eye is leaning towards him, but he agreed with the others that they'd investigate to be sure. Snape is still trusted. Even though no one has seen him since that night."

"Perhaps he went into hiding because he feared being accused," I said sarcastically, but Ginny must not have been able to detect the inflection of my words.

"Maybe. He does seem like a reasonable suspect, but Dumbledore trusted him. So I guess the Order still trusts him. Well, at least the older members, the youngest consider him a major suspect."

I sighed, "I wonder why he would do it…?" I hadn't finished my thought, so Ginny didn't know what I was implying.

"I don't know either. It doesn't make sense."

A few hours after I spoke with Ginny, I sat down in the living room with Draco. For awhile, we silently sat opposite one another. "What are you going to do now?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Now that Dumbledore has been killed, what will you do?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Since Snape, or whoever, was impersonating me killed Dumbledore, Voldemort will think that I killed him and at least succeeded in part of my mission."

"Will he be angry that you didn't finish the cabinet?"

"I don't know. He can take over the castle now that it's abandoned and unprotected. I don't think it's that important to him though."

"What will he think about your absence?"

Draco slouched in his seat and exhaled deeply, "I really don't have any intentions of going back. But I guess I'll have to. I must save my parents." He sighed, "I guess I can always show him the scars. I'll tell him Harry wounded me as I was trying to escape and then I had to hideout until my wounds healed."

"It is the truth, not the whole truth, but it did happen that way."

"He won't need to know everything. I just hope he'll be pleased enough with Dumbledore's death to overlook the small details."

"And what about Snape? How will we find him?"

"Why do we need to?"

"He went missing as well. If we talk to him, we can probably convince him to back up your story by saying he helped you get away and through your recovery."

"He did make the vow and would be bound to protect me from harm or die himself. I think that's believable."

I stood up and shook my head; I scoffed before saying, "I can't believe I'm plotting your alibi. I don't want you to go back there." He stood and came over to me; Draco wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed.

"If I could, I'd leave this place, this country, and take you to some remote place… but I can't." I was sorely tempted to go with that plan, until he spoke again, "But I have a part to play in this, and I know you wouldn't leave your friends behind while they endangered their lives for the greater good." I sighed and agreed with him. I'd gladly go away with him, but I wouldn't stay long. I'd have to return to help my friends. I had to see this thing through to the end.

I parted from him and decided to drop the matter. We'd figure out the future later, but right now we'd worry about the present and its problems.

Draco moved back to take his seat and stared into the dancing embers. I moved over to the fireplace mantel and picked up the locket.

I desperately wanted to learn the identity of R.A.B. I also wondered about the real Horcrux. Optimistic Hermione hoped he'd destroyed it, but Realist Hermione knew that was unlikely.

While I reclined on a loveseat, I let my mind wander as I tried to make sense out of everything that had happened lately. I was thrown from my thoughts suddenly when I heard a familiar voice.

"Hermione!" Harry's voice called from the fire place. I hustled over to answer him. I knew he was mad based on the inflection of his voice, and I knew the reason behind it. I sat in front of the fireplace.

"Yes, Harry," I said calmly to my angry friend. I heard Draco stand from his seat and leave the room.

"What the hell? Why'd you change the wards on _my_ home?" I paused to see if he'd finished speaking before I gave my answer.

"Well, Harry, considering the circumstances I felt it was the best thing to do. This is the safest place at the moment, and I had to ensure Draco's safety." He was still cross after I explained the simple answer to him.

"I don't care why you did it. I just want to know why you'd disallowed _me_, of all people."

"Well, I did what I felt was best, Harry. And I didn't want you doing anything to Draco while he's recovering. After all, you were the one that nearly killed him. I thought this was the least you could offer." Though I couldn't see the red flood his face, I knew that was what happened when his visage darkened slightly.

"Change the wards so I can come there. I'm not going back to the Dursleys, and you should know by now that the school has been evacuated. Like you said it is a safe place." I nodded and stood, "And let Ginny and Ron in as well."

"You have to promise me that you won't do anything rash when you get here."

He remained silent for a moment while his angry features stared back at me. Finally, after letting out a frustrated sigh, he nodded and angrily conceded, "Fine." I nodded again and said goodbye to my friend. I took my time altering the wards after I told Draco what I'd be up to.

A moment after the wards were fixed, I heard the sound of apparition. I turned and saw Harry with the two youngest Weasleys. I smiled and nodded at Ginny. She rushed over and gave me a hug. "I missed you so much, Hermione." I felt my airway being constricted, but I hugged her back. A moment later, I pried her off of me and then took a deep breath.

I looked over at the scowling males. "He's upstairs in my room," I informed them, which earned me sharper glares. I rolled my eyes and moved to take a seat on one of the faded loveseats. Ginny sat beside me. Harry and Ron came closer to us, but only Harry took a seat in the opposite chair. Ron remained standing behind him.

Harry removed a cloth parcel from the inside of his jacket. He placed it onto the coffee table and opened it. I looked at the familiar journal and a ring which was curiously missing a stone. "These are two of his Horcruxes," Harry said glumly while he stared down at the items lying before us. "There was a dark stone in the ring the last time I saw it. I don't know what happened to it." I examined the items, wary to touch them.

"Two down," I said under my breath.

I heard footsteps approaching; we all looked up and saw Draco standing in the archway leaning against the frame. He waited a moment and looked around the room at the occupants before smirking. "Nice to see you too, Potter." He glanced at the other two, "I see you've come with back up this time," he joked; I frowned. Draco crossed the room and stood behind me. He leaned down and lightly kissed my neck. He must have given Ron a look because his face was flushing and he clenched his hand into a fist.

I turned around and looked at him with the intent to tell him not to taunt my friends, but a question formed instead, "What's with that look?" Draco was staring down at the table. "I've seen that book before…" He reached to touch it, but I pushed his wrist down before he successfully did. He glanced down at me before retracting his hand. "My father kept it for as long as I could remember, until…" he trailed off and glanced at Ginny. I knew he tried to do it without gaining attention, but we all knew what he meant.

"Until second year when your father slipped it in with Ginny's school books that day in the bookstore." Harry finished. Draco gave Harry a blank stare.

"We all know," I said to him, "Harry told us."

"But I wonder how he managed to get it back," Harry said, still trying to avoid saying Dumbledore's name. "I gave it back to Lucius when I tricked him into freeing Dobby."

Draco glared at Harry and then he chuckled. "I always wondered what happened to him. I guess my dad was too proud to admit that he'd been deceived by a child." He laughed some more; the others gave him quizzical looks. Draco sat on the floor next to my feet and between my legs. He pushed the coffee table to the side and leaned back onto the lower part of the loveseat. He laid his head on my knee while looking up to Harry. I looked up, too; Harry must have had more to add since he'd come with the items.

However, Harry didn't add anything else. The five of us sat in silence for a few moments. Each focusing on something, but not concerned with one another.

"Where do we go from here?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence. We all looked over at her. "We have to figure out something soon. Voldemort isn't sitting around on his thumbs, so we shouldn't be either."

"She's right," Draco affirmed. "We're going to have to find some middle ground and proceed from there."

"We don't trust you, Malfoy," Ron spat as he glared down at the blonde.

"Frankly, I don't give a shit. We have more pressing concerns to worry about. Our personal issues shouldn't stand in the way."

"Yes, we all want the same thing," I added. "We all want to stop Voldemort."

"It'll be hard to do it if that Ferret betrays us," Ron said, maintaining his glare.

"You know the old saying: The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Draco began. "We may have our differences, Weasel, and I know they'll always be there, but we _can't_ focus on that. You're the last ones I'd want to work with, but I stand with Hermione. Since she stands with you, I'll have to, too."

Harry nodded, "Fine." He glanced back at Ron, "We'll move past this, for now. But we still have to figure out what to do next." He turned back to our direction, "The Order is scattered throughout London now that we've left Hogwarts. I have my reasons for not going back to the Dursleys, and I intend to stay here. Hermione, I imagine you're not returning home either."

I shook my head, "Not to stay, but I'm going back to make sure my parents are safe. I'll probably send them somewhere far away."

"Maybe I should send my relatives away as well," Harry said thoughtfully. "They may not be the best people, but they're family. I don't want them getting killed while Voldemort is after me."

"So we'll get our families to safety sometime this week?" I asked; he nodded.

Ginny moved over to the empty space next to Harry. Once seated, she locked arms with him and leaned on his shoulder, "I'm staying with you, Harry." I smiled at my loyal friend; Harry's features softened as he squeeze her hand.

Ron sighed, "I planned on sticking around, but now I'm sure my mum will definitely make sure that I stay since Ginny is." His shoved his hands into his pockets, "We'll head home and let them know what we're doing and gather our stuff."

"What'll you do?" I quietly asked Draco. He looked up at me. I instantly knew what he intended; I hated the idea before he even put it into words.

"I have to go back to the Manor." I frowned at him. Draco took my hand and kissed my palm, "I'll be fine…"

"You don't know that," I muttered.

"I _will_ be fine," he said resolutely. I hoped so. I looked up at the others; each had a solemn look adorning their features.

"I guess it's settled then," I said to voice that we'd considered going through with our individual plans. The others nodded or uttered affirming phrases.

"We should get to it then," Ron said to Ginny.

Ginny stood and nodded to her brother. "We'll be back soon," she said before disapparating with her brother.

"Don't leave yet, Malfoy," Harry said seriously.

"I didn't intend to. I still have some things to plan out." Harry nodded and then stood.

"I need to talk to you," Harry turned and headed towards the kitchen; Draco rose to his feet after Harry left. He kissed my forehead before following behind Harry. I had a bad feeling about leaving them alone…

_A/N: Thanks for reading. I'm sorry you had to wait such a long time for a filler chapter. Hope you still enjoyed this though. Anyway, I'll try to update next week. I should be able to get to the library, if not… let's just hope there isn't an "if not." So… until next time._


End file.
